Chocolat

Rating:
Summary: Maybe not a great movie, but a good one nonetheless.
Review: This is a lovely little movie set in a quaint French village, with Juliette Binoche as the chocolatiere who stirs up this highly conformist place. Despite its 20th century setting, the village seems to have been caught in a time warp; evidence a lady in mourning for her husband who died in World War I!! The Mayor, of aristocratic descent, is the de facto seigneur of the village and nothing is too small for his touch. He manages his rented properties as a benevolent landlord, where the commercial rental relationship is almost subordinate to the underlying feudal loyalty. At the root of the village's life, he literally instructs the village priest on the sermon to be preached at Sunday mass. His focus is to keep the village faithful to the traditions of the past, including those of his own aristocratic ancestors. Deserted by his wife, a desertion he cannot comprehend and tries stubbornly to deny, his retreat for comfort into orthodox Christianity is stalled by the entry of Binoche. A non-conformist to the core, Binoche gently but firmly turns the quiet village topsy-turvy, not so much by open confrontation of established village norms, but rather by simply ignoring those norms she considers irrelevant - be they attending the Church or refusing to fudge her single mother status. Chocolate, once known as the food of the gods, here is a metaphor as Binoche uses her tempting concoctions to entice and provoke the villagers into questioning their lives and perhaps changing them for the better. There are no real bad guys here (barring Serge) : for all his prissiness, the Mayor is a decent man adrift in a world he cannot control. Nor is the teaching one-sided: At the end of the movie, Binoche has been changed as much as the villagers. The movie is strewn with cameos but the limelight is easily stolen by Judy Dench as the irascible and ailing Armande and Johnny Depp as the relaxed river rat. Maybe not a great movie, but a good one nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: Mary Poppins for a self-martyred generation
Review: A Mary Poppin's theme (or the Parcival enters the Grail Castle and does/says the right things to releave the inhabitants of their inauthentic - living death - lives.). This movie, however, is for the self-made outcastes, hypocrital dregs, self-sorrowing martyrs, nearly lost drug adicts, punks, Rebel W/O a Cause sorts etc. of the past (two?) generations - who have made despising life an art - to change their minds and join the living in some sort of human (humane) form. It even has the appealing (to these people) Johnny Depp (a pretty good actor). But it is, none-the-less, Mary Poppins. However, with a twist - she stays.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasant comfectionary
Review: I am beginning to fear the pre- emptive titles 'a film by Lasse Halstrom' more and more as he issues forth such lightweight niceties as 'Chocolat' and 'The Shipping News'. True the film is gorgeously shot, and obvioulsy warmly regarded by those involved in its production, but this film borders on simplistic naivety, coming on like an anaemic, charmless, witless version of 'Amelie' through characterisations (such as the mayor) that are way to broad and crudely sketched and caricatured to be anywhere close to enamouring. Through a few tepid patches in the narrative, the film generates a high 'oh get on with it' quotient. All this is redeemed somewhat by Binoche and especially Olin's performances, their luminance enough to acrry the film through most of its moribund patches.

Rating:
Summary: chocolat
Review: A very enjoyable movie with great atmosphere. The acting skills of Juliet Binoche are excellent and the supporting role played by Judi Dench really makes the movie and highlights the contrasts between the characters as the film develops. Johnny Depp is as handsome as ever and the soundtrack is wonderful.The contrast between small town ignorance and worldly wise experience is well portrayed and its really nice to see the characters blossom into real human beings and start enjoying life.I loved the little town in which the movie was set.A really enjoyable movie experience.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: I really enjoye dthsi movie. I found it to be both humorous and romantic. I was really lucky to have chosen an off night to go to the theater so I sat in a vintage theater, all by myself and watched the show. Perhaps the setting added to the mystique and romance of the movie and allowed me to focus deeply into it. Juliette Bincohe is excellent as a woman who is used to moving because of the wild effects her work and has to finally confront that she's become so habitual in her wanderlust that it's her and not her mysterious effects that making her move around so. Judi Dench is also great as an old woman who has to learn to change her ways. While everyone is affected by the chocolate, it's interesting to see how the opposing sides judge freedom. This film has a subversive message about pleasure and it's relationship to God. So many times God is portrayed in Western culture as authoritative, somber and frankly, mean. When in fact, the Divine is anything but those things, this film ultimately reflects that concept.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies I've seen
Review: Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk literally blow into the small village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes on the North Wind. Vianne opens a chocolateri much to the dismay of the villagers, especially the Counte de Reynaud. Her story is full of hope and of friendship and more importantly about tolerance. Some say it's a comedy and although has a few funny moments, it's not a comedy. Plus, it will make you want to go out and eat wonderful chocolat!

Rating:
Summary: What is wrong with this movie!!??
Review: I really hate the way some people are dogging on Chocolat. I don't get how Vianne is smug because she helps people. I mean, what is so wrong with using chocolate as a way to help people through hard times? When my mom is sick, my dad buys her chocolate! And good boyfriends do that with their girlfriends too. And the movie never implies that chocolate is the end of all problems. That's just Vianne's way of doing it. If there is a law against that, then I'm most certainly not aware of it. Let the movie industry go into fairy land once in awhile for goodness sake! Why else does anyone go to a movie!? Nobody really wants to watch anything that's compeltely down to earth because we kinda already know what that's like. So all of you Comte de Reynauds out there need to ditch your chocolate prejudices!!!

Rating:
Summary: Chocolat
Review: This is absolutely unforgettable. I'm a chocoholic and a chic flick lover as well, and this movie satisfied every bit of that. When I wasn't drooling over Vianne's concontions, I was either screaming at the mayor or cheering on Anouk as she tried to convice her mom to stay where they are. 5 stars fantastic!!!

Rating:
Summary: cute
Review: I enjoyed this movie. It's definetly best described as cute. I did not realize it was not actually in French though! I would recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A nice modern movie about making a difference...
Review: How is Chocolat modern you might ask? There certainly is a battle between the traditional life that's very Victorian and the modern sensibilities that Vianne brings to the town. Vianne and her daughter Anouk appear in the repressed little French town during Lent. There is a great deal of repression and devotion to tradition. However, Vianne brings with her the modern notion that what you do in life is an important aspect of living a good life. Not just what you don't do. There's the notion of having the freedom to make your life a good one.

I find it interesting because as a movie with modern sensibilities, there's an aspect of consumerism in it though. The fact that a specific commodity - chocolate - is what reveals meaning to the lives of the people also says something about how the film has modernist themes.