Rating: 
Summary: Nonsensical liberal fantasy run amok
Review: Chocolat is awful. Juliette Binoche stars in the film (which gives her next to nothing to do), which is sort of "Where the Heart Is..." meets "The Full Monty." It's a completely offensive liberal fantasy. The basic plot is that a woman comes to a small town in 50's France, and through the power of her chocolate making, changes their outlook on lives. The problem with this is that you need to share its viewpoint, which is that all of the townspeople are stupid & blindly follow their way of life & religion since they don't know any better. The film treats Catholicism as folly. I'm not Catholic, but I was still offended. It takes place during Lent. Binoche's character tempts all of the characters to break their Lenten vows with her chocolate, and this is seen as a good thing. She doesn't attend church & seems to callously brush aside their views on religion. Basically her character's goal comes at the cost of the town's way of life, and we're expected to applaud that. I just want to warn you that the film, while seemingly sweet, is incredibly subversive in the worst way. It manipulates the audience into accepting the offensive views it has, and then tries to beautify its ugly ideas with mood lighting. If you watch the film with any sort of rational mind at all, you can't help but be offended. I'm up for magic realism as much as the next person, but this film doesn't work at all. I didn't read the book, but the film is so flimsy. For example, it doesn't explain why the chocolates have the effects they do at all. There's one flashback in which Binoche explains the Indians believed cocoa beans make people lose all their inhibitions. That's well & good, but I don't lose all inhibition when I eat a Hershey's bar. There is obviously something different about HER chocolate and the film does nothing to explain it.
What I had a huge problem with though were its attitudes toward society. It's one of those movies that celebrates vagrants at the expense of people who are settled down in life, but then expects us to be happy when the main vagrants in the story all decide to settle down at the end. I don't mind that the film condemns the church & the town's people so much as that it expects us to be happy when it betrays itself and decides these are good things.
Also problematic is Judi Dench's character. She is presented as a fellow outcast from the town, but she is obviously influenced by what her daughter (the mayor's loyal assisstant) thinks of her. The film definitely wants to be subversive & conformist at the same time, and you simply can't. The condescending way it treats the townspeople in and the pedestal it places Binoche & Depp on both are ridiculous. The film is a total failure (though I'm sure people who don't much think about what they're watching are apt to enjoy it.)
Rating: 
Summary: A Delicious Viewing Experience
Review: I loved this movie. Everything about it was outstanding: the casting, the setting, the "feel", the script, the costumes. And the music --- it was wonderful and set the scenes perfectly. I rarely, if ever, like a movie as well as the book, but this was a definite exception. I hated to see it end and plan to watch it again soon. Enough has already been said about the story, so I will not add more, except to say that the movie was very close to the book. With the exception of a few politically correct changes (the mayor, not the priest is the bad guy and Depp's character is never called a gypsy as he is in the book), it was very true to Harris's novel. The extras at the end of the DVD were better than any I have seen before. One section was about the town in which the movie was filmed. Another part was a discussion with the costume designer. These parts added a lot to my enjoyment. A totally wonderful viewing experience.
Rating:
Summary: The Sweetest Movie of the Year
Review: Chocolat has got to be one of the best movies you could see. It has everything a good movie needs; a wonderful director, great music, great scenes, and above all a stupendous cast. Juliette Binoche stars as Vianne, the chocolatier who moves restlessly from place to place with her daughter Anouk (played by a six-year old whose name eludes me at the moment). Judi Dench plays the old crotchety woman who rents a patisserie and apartment to Vianne. Lena Olin shows just how accomplished she is, playing a woman who is abused by her husband. (Very different from her character in "A Polish Wedding.") Alfred Molina is hilarious as the town's mayor, who (at first) seems to be very pious. And Johnny Depp is marvelous as the Irish gypsy guitar-playing "river rat", Roux. I was actually quite surprised that Juliette Binoche and Judi Dench didn't win Best Actress for their portrayals of Vianne and Armande. They were truly wonderful every moment on-screen.
Over all, there is no movie that is quite like "Chocolat." It's not a comedy (although there are some funny parts) nor is it a tragedy. It's just a pure sweet movie.
Rating:
Summary: This film is a delight.
Review: Chocolat is a wonderful story that speaks to me, on a number of levels. Having seen the film in the theatre, I was surprised by how much more delightful this movie was on DVD, I saw things that I had not seen in the theatre, small details really, but enough to richen the whole Chocolat experience for me. I am not the type to be easily wooed by a sentimental story, but Chocolat is touching, with a spice of humour, and the humility of familiarity. Overall this is one of the best DVD buys that I have made to date. Delightful moreso due to it's being an impulse buy; when my wife asked me to get her some chocolate, she had expected something to eat.
Rating:
Summary: get some chocolate
Review: When you watch this movie, make sure you have some chocolate on hand. This is definately a chick-flic (but a good chic-flic) and if you don't want to buy it, you should at the very least rent it.
Rating:
Summary: Chocolat is Good for You:
Review: My wife and I saw this film twice in Nashville, once in Montana, and once in Jackson MS. We have now purchased the DVD and watch it on our farm in North Mississippi. Once in a while a film comes along that moves one in a certain way, we love 'Chocolat'. The story is a bit 'Magical Realism' meets 'old fashioned' paced movies from the late 40's. It moves like a good novella, and the story is relevant.And, it is a good story. The characters are important, and no character is wasted, or 'filler'. The importance of the film from a social view is also important. Tolerance, Grace, and Mercy are words you don't usually leave a cinema thinking about. 'Chocolat' is good for you.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic cute story
Review: What could you dream of better devil than chocolate, and during Lent! Really great. Fantastic spirit, super script, the actors are very well played and it is not for the "one star" but for all actors... I strongly recommend you to see it!
Rating:
Summary: Can I have a cup of that, please?
Review: From the first moment the 'husband' tasted the sweets, then poured the bag down his throat my husband and I knew we wanted to find these chocolats. This movie is a sensual, visual, witty feast. Read the reviews if you must, but take my word for it, this movie is excellent. I didn't even know the plot when I rented it. :)
Rating:
Summary: It's been a long time since I've seen a movie this good!
Review: A contest between spirituality and life, the plot of this movie thrilled me. A French village chooses between abstinence (Lent) and earthly pleasures (chocolate). Extrordinary acting, scenery, costumes, directing and sound. Without a doubt, this movie is on my list of all-time favorites!
Rating: 
Summary: what a movie.
Review: this movie was not what i expected
the story was not well developped and i don't understand how vianne got all the money and all the cocoa in the middle of a little town in france. to me that sounds quite impossible.
anyways, it's not a horrible movie, but i think the writers should have done some more research.
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