Rating: 
Summary: FEAST AND FABLE
Review: FEAST AND FABLEMovie Review of Chocolat Chocolat is a sumptuous feast for those with a cinematic sweet tooth. A single mother (Juliette Binoche) driven by the restless wanderlust of her Navaho mother's spirit, moves to a quiet French town with her six year old daughter and opens a chocolate shop in the middle of Lent, the Catholic fast before Easter. Her free spirited atheism enrages the sanctimonious mayor (Alfred Molina), and a battle commences for the hearts and minds of the villagers. There is magic swirling around Binoche and her chocolatery, blurring the lines between real and unreal and giving the story the feel of a fable. However the gritty performance of Lena Olin as a battered wife keeps it from floating too far from earth. Swedish director Lasse Hallström (My Life as a Dog) once again paints a convincingly chilly portrait of small town life, aided by the capable acting of Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp in particular. Be warned, however, the real star of this movie is the chocolate. Don't go on an empty stomach or you may find yourself worryingly distracted from the narrative flow. The story is light on dramatic urgency, but the cast stirs in their own spicy fruit into the half-baked script and the result is delicious enough to satisfy the most gluttonous of appetites.
Rating: 
Summary: A feel good treat that¿s better than the book
Review: Last year, I reviewed the book CHOCOLAT by Joanne Harris. I'm happy to report that this film adaptation is even better than the print version. And how often can one say that with a straight face? The film begins with a north wind blowing Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) into a small French village at the very beginning of Lent, that pre-Easter period of time, which, in the Catholic liturgy, is dedicated to prayer and physical self-denial. It's not a good time for Vianne, an apparent non-Christian, to open up a chocolate shop across the town square from the church. But, she does so anyway, much to the dismay of the village mayor, the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina). Reynaud is puritanically determined to shut the shop down, and Vianne is equally determined to keep it open. An irresistible force meets an immovable object. CHOCOLAT, both the book and movie, is a whimsical comedy that blossoms as Lent progresses, and Vianne's shop becomes a place of healing and sanctuary for several of the town's troubled residents. Because Vianne's store is seen (by the local Church establishment) as diametrically opposed to the spirit of the season, the story can also be taken as a gentle fable of conflict between Christianity and paganism. Juliette Binoche is exquisite in her role. (I think I'm in love.) Judi Dench is her usual superb best as Armande, an aged widow deprived of her grandson's company by an over-protective mother, Armande's own daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss). There's also a small role played by Leslie Caron. (Where's she been in recent years?) And Alfred Molina is positively brilliant as the uptight mayor, so dominant that he personally writes the Sunday sermons to be delivered by the local pastor, Fr. Henri, apparently only recently ordained and much in fear of the Comte. Johnny Depp has an engaging role as one member of a band of despised river gypsies just floating through. One very good reason why CHOCOLAT the film is better than CHOCOLAT the book is the added dimension of visualization which the former imparts to several elements of the storyline, specifically the mysterious wind that blew our heroine into town, Anouk's pet Pantoufle, the delectable chocolates themselves (seductively arrayed in the shop window), and the climax of the conflict between Vianne and the Comte. CHOCOLAT the film is one that will have the audience leaving the theater feeling good, and maybe wishing for a cup of Vianne's hot chocolate with a pinch of cayenne pepper. I can't recommend this cinematic gem enough.
Rating:
Summary: Like a Lindt truffle melting on the tip of your tongue ; )
Review: I felt compelled to write a review about this movie, because it is really something. You readers might not find much use of this review. The best thing is to see the movie. It is a movie for chocolate lovers! If you are a true chocolate lover you will absolutely delight in this movie for the scenes where Juliette makes chocolate will make you crazy for it! I can't bear watching it without chocolate in my hands. In one place she makes this amazing hot chocolate that looks to me like melted chocolate. I have since tried to find such hot chocolate drink but to no avail. So to me this is simply a movie about CHOCOLAT! How delicious!
Rating:
Summary: Melt a little
Review: If you want to know what's wrong with this movie, read a dozen or so of the one-star reviews. On the other hand, there must be something good about a film that inspires such hostility from such a bunch of bitter and cynical semi-literates. Personally, I empathized with the leading lady. I don't go to church, and I don't like what the Catholic church stands for --- although, as they say, many of my best friends are Catholics. One or two of the carpers said that offering chocolate to Catholics during Lent is like opening up a pork butcher's in a community of rigorously orthodox Jews. It isn't. The real point is that if people want to eat chocolate during Lent, why shouldn't they? And what right does anyone have to stop them? Chocolate is a fundamentally harmless substance, even if it's not good for diabetics. People's lives are their own: they don't belong to any community by right --- only by agreement. This is a beautifully shot film, charmingly and engagingly acted by an interesting and attractive cast. I can't quite include the Depp character in this generalization, as I didn't think his part was sufficiently well realized. However, I wouldn't say the piece was flawless otherwise. Perhaps it's because the theme is unresolved. It starts as a fantasy fable: this woman clearly arrives with her little daughter from nowhere, carrying impossibly heavy luggage, transported by nothing visible, wearing strange clothing. The wares she sells appear as if by magic. Is she some sort of witch from the Otherworld? It looks like it, but gradually it seems that she is human after all, and would just like to put down roots. Is this the point of it all --- that in the end we have to compromise? Cowboys have to be friends with farmers. It's all a little slight. The most genuinely tragic character is played by Peter Stormare, who is the real victim of this village life set-up, and he is just brushed out of the picture. An in-depth analysis of his fate and psyche would have opened up a really gripping can of worms. Too much to swallow, of course.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie You Won't Want To Miss
Review: Roger Ebert really sort of summed it up by saying : "It's the sort of movie you can enjoy as a superior fable, in which the values come from children's fairy tales but adult themes have been introduced." I'd add to that by saying : It's the type of movie that's perfect for a Sunday afternoon viewing... It doesn't overwhelm you with a lot of fast paced, rich detail that challenges your brain on it's day off from work, but instead just slowly draws you into a sweet story that'll put a smile on your face and a tear in your eye occasionally... Juliette Binoche is REALLY aging well, and a real JOY to watch on screen... and I enjoyed the character portrayals from the other main and supporting characters as well ... Many of the characters you will recognize from other solid character portrayals in other films... Peter Stormare [ Remember the BAD guy : Gaer Grimsrud in 'Fargo', how could you forget him, right? ] and Lena Olin, a favorite of mine, who also appeared in 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' with Juliette Binoche, just to name two... Maybe not 'Best Picture' even though it certainly deserves the nomination, but certainly a good one in a lean year... A movie well worth seeing when you're in a mellow mood... GOOD one!... Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie for Grownups
Review: My wife and I as well as another couple enjoyed this film immensely... Chocolat provides a wonderful insight into the life, strong conservatism and, yes, outright prejudices of the French citizens who live in such vividly picturesque towns and villages. They are not bad people but resist change of any kind and cling to their traditions. It is the price they pay to live in places that the average tourist loves to experience but only for a little while. The film was heightened by an unusually original and sensitive story but also superb casting, direction and acting. Juliette Binoche projected an almost ethereal tranquility in her quirky role as the mysterious woman who suddenly appears and opens a chocolate shop and feeds not only the physical but spiritual needs of the suspicious town people who are so realistically portrayed. Johnny Depp, who I believe is one of the most courageous and talented actors today, was outstanding as the Irish riverboat gypsy. He played his part with perfect understatement and acuity. He [almost] stole the show. Dame Judy Dench was, as always, excellent as the grandmother with her patented mix of tartness and sweetness, further perfected since her memorable portrayal of Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown. The actor who played the very challenging role of the comte/mayor was powerful yet surely gained your sympathies over his own inner pain as the story progressed. And I thought the boy and girl who played the juvenile roles were both appealing, natural and just delightful. That is a tribute to a fine director. The young actor in the role of the curate was first rate. In short, this this a rarity today: a top-notch film for grown-ups that has a message, likable characters within a beautiful setting. The four of us can't wait to see it once more. P.S. We all agreed the only faux pas was the conspicuous absence of the town gendarmerie, a fixture in French village life.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet, delicious fantasy for grown-ups.
Review: A perfect international cast comes together for this wonderful fable that will keep you enrapt for 2 hours. Delightful performances, thoughtfull design and sensitive direction along with a charming score make this one to view more than once. The Bonus features are less than thrilling and the Producer's commentary is hardly insightful or revealing. It might have been more fun to have some of the cast members offer their recollections and observances than the producers who seemed to be more set on espousing facts from the press release.
Rating:
Summary: Dark and creamy
Review: "Chocolat", chocolate in french, is one of the few quality fables filmed in history. Its sweet tooth theme is perfect with the characters' emotions. The old town french town was wonderfully crafted. The fashion designers crafted the costumes perfectly to look 1959. Lasse Hallstrom directed this movie brilliantly. The writers give the movie the extra unique touches that most other today's movies need. They make all the events fit together as one. Juliette Dimoche was the perfect actress to play Vianne, a chocolate cook whom most of the town calls her "Satan" for no reason. Judi Dench wonderfully portrays a cranky old woman whose fate becomes unexpected. Both deserved their Oscar nominations. Johnny Depp proves that he's improved greatly in the past few years in his role as a river drifter who falls in love with Vianne. Lena Olin plays a battered wife emotionally.
***Important word of caution: One will become very hungry while watching this movie. A small bowl of chocolate will cure the craving and will give the experience an extra touch.
Rating:
Summary: A story of enlightment that hardly ever faults
Review: Chocolat Score: 83/100 "That day, the towners not only heard a song of church, but an enlightening of the spirit," is a memorable line said late in the magical film that is Chocolat. The quote in the film kind of rings out to the entire movie - the day that you see Chocolat, it won't just be any movie, it'll be an enlightening, refreshing experience that you're sure to like. 1960, small town France. Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her pre-teen daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) move into town and open a chocolate shop just as lent is beginning. The town's small-minded mayor can't accept this and does his best to shut her down, but her warm personality and incredible chocolates manage to win over many townsfolk. Things get shaken up even more when a group of river drifters, led by Roux (Johnny Depp), stop into town (to the even greater distress of the mayor) and Vianne takes up with him. Meanwhile, she's been helping Josephine (Lena Olin) out of her abusive marriage and her equally freethinking landlord, Amande Voisin (Judi Dench) get together with her grandson, Luc (Aurelien Parent-Koeing), whose mother doesn't approve of Amande's ways. The film is overflowing with it's share of brains and complete maturity throughout the character's hard situations. The actors all play these interesting people to absolute perfection, Juliette Binoche shines brighter than she ever has as the eager Vianne, and Judi Dench is her classical self as Armande. Also, actors that didn't get nominated for Academy Awards (Binoche and Dench did) also put in heaps of effort, Lena Olin is believable and eye-widening as Josephine and Johnny Depp as Roux...well, his coolness just goes without saying. The film has a rich and tasty feel to it, you can almost taste the chocolate Vianne is cooking, oh yes...when the cameramen allow the eye of the camera to go on the silky chocolate swishing through the cooking objects and breaking on the bowl, wow, I tell ya, you better be prepared to drool not only at the film and the chocolate, but it's ingredients and content. Chocolat is a greatly intriguing piece of work, one that is endlessly delightful, and only contains a pinch of a fault.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent feel good movie
Review: This movie had the potential to turn totally cheesy--a stranger from another place moves into town, opens a chocolate shop, people think she's crazy and bad, and then they all realize she's good and everyone gets happy. What saves this from happening, however, are the performances turned in by Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, and Johnny Depp. You feel Binoche's restless spirit being pulled by the desire to provide a stable existence for her daughter. You feel Molina's pain with a wife that has left him, but still trying to keep it together with a tough exterior that turns the town against him. And who better than to epitomize the river gypsy than Johnny Depp? This movie is like making chocolate: it takes some work in the beginning to get it going, but once it gets in the oven (stove? wherever you make chocolate) and the smells start to waft over you, it is delightful and pleasant right up through swallowing the last bit.
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