Chocolat

Rating:
Summary: Deceptive or Realistic???
Review: It's interesting to see that there's so much activity for this film since it's been released for quite awhile. However, perhaps Depp's recent performances have drawn attention to it. After watching him in "Pirates of the Caribbean," I realized that he might be one of the best young actors in our time. I mean he can really act like different people...not just take type-cast rolls. And so I wanted to see his work here.

What I found was a blatant skewing of a storyline to engage people while communicating a specific message. While most intelligent books & movies now try to show how multi-dimensional everyone is...how difficult it is to simply cast someone as "good" or "bad"...this movie does the reverse. As characters are introduced, you are quickly able to assign them to one of 2 camps: good enlighted folks or bad religious uptight folks. (There's also one bad drunken guy who is taken in by the bad religious folks for their own agenda.)

What unfolds, then, is not a film about the transformation of human nature or the triumph of hero in a realistic set of circumstances. Rather, you have an "unlikely" heroine cast in a role where she's bound to succeed in proving how good she ultimately is. (She has all good people on her side, of course). This mysterious woman who works on Sunday & has an illegitmate daughter basically acts as the religious figure of the movie. She heals the sick, protects the vulnerable, brings together the lonely and even, yes, loves her enemies. The bad people are eventually either "converted" to her side or made to look absolutely ridiculous. They are degraded and dismissed.

Depp's character makes an interesting entrance towards the end of this movie. As usual, I think he played his role well. He plays the intelligent, intriguing, competent gypsy he's supposed to be. I like his character, but I wished there was more of him.

In the end, I had very mixed feelings about the film. I felt that the artsy people behind the film (not necessarily the author of the original book) were using this film to express their own internal emotions. It was like they poured themselves into this heroine and tried to make you understand how good & sincere they are - despite their unconventional lifestyles.

And it is engaging. I legitimately liked the heroine & hoped she would succeed. I felt like I had to use all my intellectual power (which is, admittedly, minimal) to pull back from the emotional draw of the movie in order to analyze the realisticness of the plot. As I said at the beginning, my ultimate feeling is that this is a blatantly skewed plot used to communicate a message. And that's not necessarily a bad thing...perhaps it's just good to be aware of.

Rating:
Summary: tasty
Review: I found Chacolat to be a very enjoyable movie. Though some parts of it were a bit boring, most of the movie was good clean fun. Binoche does a spectacular job in the part of Vinnette, the upbeat chacolater. Also Olin is praiseworthy for her part as a bruised wife who attempts to turn her life around.
Ok now on to Johny Depp, I'll give it to people that he is a hansome, and fun to watch, but was he really that amazing of an actor? I'm not saying he's horrible but I certainly wouldn't call him the stand out peformance.
The supporting cast really saved this movie from being boring. As the major Alfred Molina is great and a very beleivable pious man.
Thivisol is good in the part of Vinettes daughter, she shows the perfect amount of emotion as her child part could.
Judi Dench is exeptional as the old diabetic crazy women, rich with enthusiasim wich is just what the film needed.
Finally Carrie Anne Moss was wonderful as Dench's "high moralled" daughter. She put a lot of energy into the part whuch also helped with the exitment level of the film.

This movie is DEFINATLY worth having on the shelf, and the fettures on the dvd arn't bad either, especially if you like to know what went on behind the scenes. I also recomend having a chacolat bar with you while watching this movie.

Rating:
Summary: needs more depp
Review: depp saved this movie. he isn't in it enough. when he is the screen lights up. laugh and dance along with the ever so handsome Roux.

Rating:
Summary: misinformed
Review: I don't know about life in France 40 years ago, but there are some big misunderstandings in this film. There are at least 3 purposes to Lent. 1) As Mr. Virey points out, Lent is a spiritual workout. If I can say no today to something innocent like chocolate, perhaps tomorrow I can say no to something really evil. 2) Some people abstain from delicious treats everyday. Not because they want to, but because they have no choice. They are called poor people. If I can say no to self-indulgence today, perhaps the money I save can go to help someone who is really suffering. 3) Life & everything in it is a free gift from God. If I can say no today to something good, perhaps I will remember that Providence & that the world does not revolve around me & "I want".
I disliked this movie for several other reasons, most have been mentioned by other reviewers. I will mention one more. 60% of the population of the USA is overweight. Diabetes is almost epidemic. What if this film were called Tabac, & was about smoking? Is it any different?

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous film!
Review: This is probably my favorite movie, or at least in my top 5 favorites. It's such a great heartwarming and fun film. The scenery is quite beautiful, the acting is fantastic, and Johnny Depp is just hot. It's quite a feel-good movie that will have you smiling at the end. Some say it's predictable, but I can name about 50,000 other movies that are WAY more predictable than this one(say, all Julia Roberts films). Great great film, Juliet Binoche is excellent as is Depp and Judi Dench.

Rating:
Summary: "Tranquillité" - that means "tranquility", ya' know!
Review: Any film that combines Juliette Binoche with Johnny Depp seems worth seeing just for the absurdity factor. This one is *such* a Hollywood-esque take on small-town French life. You know you're in trouble when the opening voice-over (in English, as is the entire film) describes the "tranquillité" of the village ... and then feels compelled to translate "tranquillité" into English. And then there's the foolishness of Johnny Depp playing an Irish traveler who plays steel guitar - including a very uptown version of Django's "Minor Swing".

This is another example of an interesting and slightly strange slice of European life made innocuous and comforting for American audiences.

Nonetheless, I'll confess that the film is fun, predictable fluff. It's probably worth watching on a flight to Europe, if only because your actual experiences there will be *so* much more thought-provoking and rewarding.

Rating:
Summary: Delicious!
Review: Feast your senses on chocolate, music and the delicious Johnny Depp.

It is foolhardy to watch this movie without chocolate at the ready. I predict you will last about 45 seconds after the first chocolate appears before you start ripping off the candy bar wrapper. (May I suggest a pound of See's as a wise pre-movie purchase?)

The music is a great variety, from kick-up-your-heels to the sweet melody you hear in the wind. I highly recommend the soundtrack for whatever mood you can think of.

Then, of course, there's Johnny Depp, that hotty of hotties, that dashing, debonair pirate-like sweetie. His character is just as appealing as the man himself; witty, sweet and adorably hot!

The tale of a traveling mother-daughter duo shunned by the straightlaced inhabitants of a mid-20th-century french town unfolds as they seek out the adventurous, and bring out the spirit in them. Opening a chocolate shop at the beginning of lent separates the daring from the subdued. The appearance of Johnny Depp and his Gypsy friends on the banks of the local river create even more conflict between the conservative, who regard the "River Rats" as imoral, and the radical, who welcome the "pirates" as exotic friends. The escalating conflict and its finale show everyone their true, adventurous nature. By the end of the movie, you're convinced one smart woman has brought out the beauty in everyone.

And there you have it: a smorgasbord for your senses that pulls at and cheers your heart. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Chocolatey
Review: This movie was superb! The cast was magnificent, the scenary was beautiful, the costumes were fantastic. This movie depicted the perfect small French town. I do not like to tell story lines because I end up giving away the movie. This was excellent, the characters were greatly depicted. I am deffinately reading the book.

Rating:
Summary: Predictable
Review: I waited for some weeks before renting this DVD, expecting to settle back in it's anticipated depth, subtlty, and surprise. Instead I was met with a predictable assortment of quite unbelievable but highly predictable Hollywood stereotypes. What a surprise, considering its reputation - this is "B" movie stuff. How this film earned five nominations is anyone's guess, but mine is that it's the year's politically correct onslaught against (goofy warped tinsel-town-style) traditional values, in favor of simple baseless empty-headed Epicurian sensibilities (if the latter isn't already a self-contradiction.) With this much overbearing and utterly empty politicizing from the Left Coast, this film may be lovely to look at but is impossible to watch seriously. I couldn't finish it.

Rating:
Summary: Superb tale.
Review: Expecting greatness about a film based upon sweet confection? You won't be disappointed! This is a wonderfully entertaining film, beautifully photographed and acted, which features strong female lead characters. Refreshing.