And he’s a nice guy, too

I was pleased to see this flattering profile of writer-director Brad Bird.  There are a lot of things I like about him.  I thought The Incredibles was (and is) a brilliant movie, and especially appreciated its digs at the dumbing down of American education.  It also showcased yet another one of Bird’s talents, which is comedy — as you probably know, he did the voice for Edna “E” Mode, the funniest character in the movie.

I also know, from people in the “biz,” that he’s a nice guy to work with.  And this last doesn’t surprise me, because I had the pleasure of meeting him several years ago.  It was a brief meeting but I can tell you that he has a lovely family, thoughtful and well-mannered whether you’re looking at adults or children, and that he has a pleasant, low-key presence that’s completely at odds with what a big guy he is in the movie industry — an industry known for outsize egos and arrogance.

All of which is to say that I have high expectations for his new movie, Ratatouille.  My slightly inside buzz on the movie (yes, I have slightly inside buzz on this one), is that it’s going to be another good one — although the insiders will always say that, won’t they?  Given the buzz, I’ll temporarily ignore the fact that the ugly Janeane Garofalo is one of the voices — and by ugly, I don’t mean on the outside, I mean her personality.