Chocolat

Rating:
Summary: FEAST AND FABLE
Review: 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: IT JUST MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH!
Review: Chocolat is a film about breaking traditions (fool traditions that is),about discovering yourself and mostly about love. The whole movie is structured like a fable with a narrator, plenty of funny things that probably would never happen and of course a lesson, but so subtle you'll not think of it as a lesson. Its 1959, France an immaginary town controlled by a mean old mayor (Alfred Molina as funny as ever), whose people only attend church and have a hostile environment. Vianne arrives (exquisitely played by Juliette Binoche)sets up a chocolaterie, in the middle of lent, and the town will never be the same. Chocolat is a comedy, a drama, a satyre but is mainly a great film with great performances, a beautiful soundtrack and that feel good charm most movies lack. Don't miss it! BEST PICTURE NOMINEE AND WELL DESERVED!

Rating:
Summary: A bittersweet tale enhanced by a superb ensemble cast
Review: "Chocolat" tells a fable-like story of a young single mother (played by Juliette Binoche) who, with her young daughter, drifts into a small French village in the mid-20th century. She sets up a chocolate shop, but her efforts to bring some fun to the repressed villagers bring her into conflict with the town's tyrannical mayor (well played by Alfred Molina).

"Chocolat" is beautiful to see and hear. The fanciful sets and the playful score by Rachel Portman enhance the fairy tale atmosphere of the story. Although there are some unsatisfying loose threads in the script, the story as a whole is delightful. And while the film's message--about the importance of tolerance--may be a bit obvious, it's still worth thinking about.

Director Lasse Hallstrom showed his skill at handling a large ensemble cast in "the Cider House Rules," and he does an equally satisfying job here. And what a cast! Juliette Binoche is excellent in the lead role; both elegant and earthy, she is an enthralling screen presence. The great Judi Dench sinks her teeth into a supporting role as a grouchy landlady who has a tender spot for her young grandson. Johnny Depp is charming as Binoche's love interest, and Hugh O'Conor is absolutely delightful as the baby-faced village priest who secretly loves the music of Elvis.

To sum up, "Chocolat" is an appealing comedy-drama with some real touches of magic.

Rating:
Summary: Feast or famine?
Review: On a sensual level, Chocolat is a sumptuous feast offering excellent acting, gorgeous cinematography, and a delightful parade of 1950's costume design. Unfortunately, the story line is dominated by all too familiar deconstructionist tract: Good is bad, bad is good. .... The village priest is an affable chap, but is essentially a fool. The town mayor is a bigot. The heroes are the generous and attractive unwed mother, the long-suffering battered wife, the charming, free-spirited river boat vagrant (i.e., social parasite), and the old curmudgeon with a heart of gold. Anyone who isn't dysfunctional in some way is relegated to the background as a mereprop. .... The trivialization of morals in this morality tale derides serious thought and reduces conscience, moral accountability, and prioritization of values to a drivel of clichés. In railing against a town full of narrow-minded and phony characters, this story becomes its own worst enemy - - rigid and disingenuous. Chocolat is especially disappointing because it had the potential to be great, but degenerated into a sort of sitcom with a big budget. But then, if what you are really after is an overdose of confection, then this mind candy is likely to please. If nothing else, it is a great tale about chocolate.

Rating:
Summary: Criticism for Criticism's Sake
Review: No matter how good a film is, there will always be those who find something negative to say about it. Like all other pictures, this is far from perfect, but in my view, it is suprisingly good. Though it has garnered mixed reviews, the positive far outweighs the negatives, and justly so. It has likeable characters, world-class actors, and never loses its intention of being a comic fable. I completely disagree with those that say this is shallow and predictable (please look up the word "fable"). This is a thoroughly entertaining feel-good movie, and I left the movie wanting a candy bar but mostly, delighted at how people come together. Too bad some of us have become too cynical to even enjoy a charming fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS NOT THE 2000 RELEASE OF CHOCOLAT! BUT...
Review: It's a decent French film from 1988 by the director Claire Denis about a French woman returning to colonial West Africa to remember her past. Complex film about interracial relationships and the past. It's a bit slow moving and not the fantasy jaunt that the new film of the same name is. But it's enjoyable. Take this is a warning and do not think this is the same movie or even same story as the 2000 film of the same name.

Rating:
Summary: The Best 'Non-Violent' Movie Of The Year
Review: In a year full of dramas loaded with violence and adult content. Chocolat was perhaps the cleanest, and one of the best movies of the year. Chocolat is a very heart-warming story of a mother and daughter who travel from place to place with the North wind. But they always leave their mark on each town using their ancient, exotic chocolates. It's not a rip-roaring comedy, nor an intense drama. Chocolat is just out there; it has no political message, or hidden meaning. It's just a nice story brought to life by great acting on the parts of Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, and a cast of other loveable characters. The filming location is in a tiny village in France, which provides an excellent, atmospheric backdrop to the plot of the story. The film also contains perhaps the best original score written for a movie in 2000. Juliette Binoche plays her first big American film since 1996's The English Patient, and earns her second Academy Award nomination. (For Best Actress In A Leading Role) All in all, Chocolat picked up five Oscar nominations including Best Picture. And it has been a critical success as well, winning the hearts of audiences all across the globe. Apparently one taste of Chocloat is all it takes.

Rating:
Summary: A Sublime Experience
Review: This comic fable inspired me to enjoy the finer things in life- the joy in human interactions and the bliss that simple kindness brings. While chocolate is the subject around which this charming story is told, the chocolate symbolizes a willingness to hold out a hand to others to comfort and draw them close. This film's themes are very clear, honest, and forthright which make them all the more brillant. Vianne, Juliette Binoche's character, rejects the simple-minded prejudices of the small village and instead extends her arms and the warm medicine of her decadent chocolate to any person willing to receive the gift. This is a story that reminds one of what is beautiful about humanity- you walk away from the film in awe of the beauty of life and with an enhanced faith in the goodness of man.

Rating:
Summary: Nice Little Fable, No Substance Though
Review: This movie may be one of the "cutest" movies to come out of last year. The story revolves around a mother and daughter that move along with the wind, blowing into each city, then leaving as soon as they came. The city this time is a little town in France, and Juliette Binoche and daughter arrive to set up a chocolate store during a time when the city is abstaining from sweets.

The story offers some interesting stories, but never seems to carry through with any of them. We see Johnny Depp come into town as a river rat, but he really has no purpose in the film. We see Lena Olin as an abused wife, but for what? Just so Binoche can have a friend? The mayor of the town, Alfred Molina, is out to have the store shut down, with help from Carrie Anne Moss. But no real story comes from them either. Judi Dench is an old woman who connects with her grandson at the store, but did she really deserve a nomination for this?

This film was very unjustly nominated for best picture. There were many more films that could have been put up for this honor. Call it the Miramax marketing machine, but the rest of us will call it a rip off for good movies. This film is charming, and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but when you get down to it, there is really no substance to back the film as a whole.

Rating:
Summary: Not Bad
Review: We've seen the story of 'Chocolat' a thousand times before: Strangers come to little society. Little society tries to get rid of strangers - 'Nobody shall make changes HERE'. Strangers win in the end - Little society realizes strangers brought something new, something good.

It's told in a pretty way, the Rocher chocolate being the building stone and the thread linking people, situations, humour, envy, intrigues together. In the end, this becomes a little too sentimentally dreaming. But pretty it is.