Chocolat

Rating:
Summary: A sweet, sticky, nauseating "Chocolat"
Review: What a boring, pseudo-French, pseudo-"cultural", pseudo-art this movie is. All too-known, well-tried message - that good people are good, and bad people are bad, that you have to be yourself, and you deserve to be free, etc. Package all this ideas into the surroundings of a French village, squeeze a tear here and a tear there, add a bit of "elavator" music on the background - and you have a winning recipe for a success on the American screen. Every minute of the movie tells you that it was carefully designed for the American public - or whatever the American public is - in the mind of the director. Well, it kinda worked - considering the number of nominations. An it kinda did not - considering that all of them flopped...

Rating:
Summary: What a movie
Review: this movie is a movie that u wanna live it u wanna go inside the screen and live the movie its a delicous treat but its not a anyone's flavor u need to be in love with drama/romance movie this aint no a movie to see and excpect an action or a fight or violence this is a movie for every drama fan i loved julliet binoche in this she deserved the oscar so jude dinch but this movie wasnt an best picture winner no way for that

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable escapism
Review: Having watched this film only at the insistence of my wife, I resisted its charms as long as possible. I mean, come on, it's a mystical/mystery/romance/ensemble/cookbook! But the portrayal of small town French life soon won me over, and I set aside my reservations to just enjoy what was offered (not unlike a Hershey's bar?) The performances are uniformly good -- Juliette Binoche is, as always, beautiful and earthy, while Johnny Depp does a convincing Irish vagabond. Hallstrom's direction is aesthetically pleasing, from the quaint town to the delicious-looking chocolate. So if you're not expecting too much, I think you'll enjoy the film.

Rating:
Summary: A movie as rich as chocolate itself
Review: Oddly enough, the texture of this film actually reminds me of chocolate. Chocolate has a strong flavor, but is also full of more subtle tastes, all of which flow together into a single, rich experience. Similarly, "Chocolat" delivers a strong message, and also tells the stories of several individual lives, all artfully blended together. All of the elements of the movie are strong - acting, direction, cinematography. But what stands out is the writing: it's at turns touching, humorous, mysterious and exciting, and it's difficult to say when one leaves off and another picks up. Put this movie on your "don't miss" list.

Rating:
Summary: A delightful film
Review: Chocolat tell the story of a young woman and her daughter who come to a small French village to open a chocolate shop. The villagers are stifled by age-old customs which regulate everyday life. The mayor is the chief enforcer of the old mores and does his best to keep everything the way it has always been. The lovely chocolatier challenges the accepted order and replaces rules with warmth, hospitality, and every kind of chocolate you can imagine. The two become enemies when the mayor tries to close down the business by gossiping about its owner. A band of gypsies come to town and the mayor is even more incensed when she befriends them. This is a lovely film to be savored and enjoyed.....just like a delicious piece of chocolate!

Rating:
Summary: Sweet, To The Point, and Like a Storybook
Review: This was simply a very enjoyable movie, and I didn't yawn once. I was also extremely grateful that it lacked the usual trappings of today's film: overserious drama, gratuitous violence, and/or over-the-top artsy-fartsiness. (The latter which I was actually expecting and was almost reluctant to see this film because of)I felt as though the film conveyed its message in a most pleasing way to all senses, and left us with a little bit of food for thought without sounding like an after school special. The visual appeal of the film has impact, as well as the acting which is good across the board. The soundtrack was a pleasant treat as well...I was surprised and pleased to hear Django Reinhardt's "Minor Swing" used in this film....it is a sublime tune and it matched the feel of the story. An interesting thing to note is that Johnny Depp is really playing guitar on the track....he's not too shabby at all I may add. But the really highlight for me was Judy Dench's exquisite performance as a crabby but good hearted old woman. Her veteran skills are wielded as sharp as an arrow in this film as she succeeds in making a minor character leave as strong an impact as all of the other characters combined. Oh, and the kangaroo was really cool too.

Rating:
Summary: Simply delicious
Review: Once in a while a movie comes along and after you have seen it will leave you with this wonderful feeling. Don't look any further here it is !!! A wonderful cast adorable character portrayals excellent music score. What more could you ask for? A traveller comes into town with her young daughter on the north wind and opens a choclateria just as lent has started. You can almost taste the chocolate created in this movie. Watch it with your favorite chocolate and when a character in the film tries one you indulge at the same time. Forget the popcorn!!!

Rating:
Summary: Uneven Poetry
Review: It was like listening to a fabulous poem with a few words stumbled over here and there. Depp is very very good as the Irish River Rat, but I had to wonder how he got that boat all the way from Ireland to France. There were a few British accents masquerading as French ... the priest in particular was interesting in that plus he was incredibly young. Brought to mind Doogie Howser, priest.

But those small stumbles can not detract from the sheer beauty of this film. The awakening of this town from the self-denials of their lives (not all are related to the Church but that is the big allegorical tie-in) is an amazing thing.

One person who was never asleep is Judi Dench's Armande. For me, she was one of the best characters in the film. The foreshadowing is done so very well in this. It wa a pure delight to watch.

Rating:
Summary: REALLY GOOD MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is a really good movie about a woman and her daughter who travel all over making Mayan chocolate and bringing it to different places. They move to a small town in France where she tries to sell her chocolate during lent, and everyone in this village is very religious. She helps someone find a new life and falls in love with a man who is disaproved by the mayor of the town. This is a great movie. I definetely reccomend it.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful Confection
Review: Much has been said about how this movie is an unbelievable, simplistic piece of Hollywood hokum, disguised as an art house flick,whose Oscar nominations were bought by Miramax in a blatent attempt do equal the Oscar triumphs of previous Miramax product like The English Patient or Shakespeare in Love. It is true that this is pure, big budget Hollywood, a film whose target audience was thoroughly researched, whose casting choices were made to increase box office, or to give it a thespian cache it probably doesn't need. It certainly didn't deserve five Oscar nominations, I feel only one of them was justified. For a film about French people, there is a decided lack of French people in it. In viewing it again on DVD, I was struck by some of the stilted dialogue, the fact that the young preist had a decidely Irish brogue, how Johnny Depp looked like a tanned rock star. I wonder if Jeanne Moreau could have been a better choice to play the old lady instead of Judi Dench, good as she is.

Knowing all of that, I still enjoyed this film.

The film is expertly and lovingly directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Even with some faulty dialogue, the actors do a wonderful job. Depp may not be a believable Irish gypsy, but he is extremely charming. Lena Olin captures the terror of her abused character sublimely. Alfred Molina creates a sympathetic villian, you feel sorry for him.

Best of all is Juliette Binoche, who is completely captivating. It's refreshing to see her in a film that isn't so heavy. She is so sublime, you don't realize how much she puts into a character. One look into those soulful eyes tell you more about the character than pages of dialogue ever could. Just check out the way she flirts with Depp, her interactions with Dench's grandson, the little moments. She's marvelous. And a more beautiful woman you cannot find.

Like I said in a previous review, this film is not a great work of art. It is an entertaining, charming film, expertly crafted, that I think will stand the test of time.