Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: For those of you who have never read the book, of which my husband is one, this is a trite and meaningless movie that makes little sense. For those of you who did read it, as I did, this movie bears little resemblance to the wonderful book. I don't think I have ever been as disappointed with a screen adaptation of a book! Things were changed that didn't need to be (have you ever heard of Irish gypsies in France - or couldn't Johhny Depp do a Franch accent? - which is just one instance) and the major premise of the book was lost by changing the main protagonist from the priest to the mayor. Even the delightful Vianne lost her charm and mystique since her whole background was changed. I could hardly bear to watch the ending. There was no mystery or spiritually involved in this, and although I had heard the movie wasn't good, I had no idea it was as bad as this. Thank goodness we rented it rather than purchasing it. I can award it one star for being a pretty movie, but apart from that it was a complete waste of time and HARDLY worthy of any Academy Award nominations. Is this what our movies are coming to or doesn't anyone give the moviegoing audience credit for being able to handle something with a little more depth, albeit this wasn't supposed to be too heavy. To anyone even marginally interested, read the book instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: I didnot think that Chocolat would be a good movie, I didnot bother to watch it even after the Oscars, finally this past month I saw it, it was delightful, simple, fresh and sweet. I needed to see something like Chocolat to remind me that happy endings movies are still my favorites. The movie is a gem, the music is great and I can not wait for the DVD to come out so I will have the movie to watch over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Feel happy with chocolat
Review: After watching this movie, you will find yourself feeling very happy. You will be one of the people who is fascuinated by chocolate! Especially when you are sad or unhappy, just give it a try! It absolutely brings you happiness. Music is also nice. Once you hear that theme song of Chocolat, which is somehow similar to the one of La Fableaux destin d'Amerie Poulain, you can recall whole story. IT starts quietly and gets rythms more and more gradually.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic movie
Review: Much better than expected. The folks who didn't like this one are not into art or romance, which this movie has much of. This is a must see, and a keeper. You'll want to see it again, and share it with all your friends.
Rating:
Summary: Embracing Life!
Review: Critics wailed that the movie put down the "church" but what a shallow critique! This story is powerful in that it contrasted the "real human beings" who were embracing life and accepting others (even ignorant "boat people") with the "superior" individuals, who were defining who they were by what they didn't do and whom they excluded. It was a delightful movie (much better than the book) that tantalized my senses and stirred my soul at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: Dullified retro Jive
Review: Was this really nominated for a an Oscar? The bar keeps lowering . All this movie turned up into as a cheesy Flashdance ripoff which was worse than Coyote Ugly if that is humanly possible.Other than the lead actress I never saw so many canned hams in 1 picture
Rating: 
Summary: Manufactured
Review: There is nothing wrong with sweet movies. I love sweet movies. I love sweet, charming, affectionate movies that observe human nature through humorous and insightful lenses. I saw just such a movie last year. It was called "Almost Famous."If you haven't seen that particular title yet, you may have to after watching "Chocolat;" I can't think of a more appropriate way to wash out that synthetic aftertaste. Movies like "Chocolat" aren't written or directed--they're engineered. Perhaps the finest chocolate requires an exact recipe, but provocative and entertaining cinema doesn't. Just the opposite, really--great filmmaking resists formula. But this inconsequential fluff piece, which imagines an insular French community where the transforming power of chocolate is enough to provoke life-changing epiphanies, is so blandly predictable, so precisely calculated to make you feel warm and fuzzy, that you almost wish--no, beg--for something unexpected and off-the-wall to happen. What makes "Chocolat" so easily digestible--and what led the Academy to idiotically award the film five undeserved Oscar nominations, aside from Miramax's relentlessly tacky advertising campaign--is the undeniable skill and craftsmanship in front of and behind the camera. When you've got a director as respected as Lassë Hallstrom and A-list talent like Juliette Binoche and Judi Dench, you can be sure it's all going to go down smoothly. Gorgeous cinematography and sumptuous shots of melting chocolate certainly don't hurt. But when these ingredients are at the disposal of a script that relies so frustratingly on age-old conventions, a script that obliviously trots out the most pedestrian characters--and from the self-righteous mayor and the battered wife to the innocent boy with the domineering mother, they're all here--you have to wonder what the point of assembling all this talent is. Binoche does absolutely nothing in this film to warrant her best actress nomination--nothing, perhaps, except to remind you that a long time ago she actually took on challenging roles. Ditto Dench, who is such a towering performer that she shouldn't even be looking down her nose at a film like this. The fact that "Chocolat" paid off so handsomely for Miramax is disheartening indeed--not only because it cheated far superior movies of their just desserts, but because of the unavoidable suggestion that this film actually says something important. It doesn't. What it does, in fact, is indulge a message of staggering phoniness and simplicity. "Tolerance" is the operative word in "Chocolat's" artificial little fairy-tale universe--embrace everyone and everything, toss out the narrow-minded regulations and principles that once held you captive, and oh, have a Belgian creme while you're at it because chocolate is the key to unlocking the deepest mysteries of human nature. It's movies like this that give art-house pretension a bad name.
Rating:
Summary: Sensual Magic
Review: And of course, by sensual, I mean the literal definition ... this movie tweaks the senses in the most glorious way. Until this movie, my favorite was The Unbearable Lightness of Being which, coincidentally, starred both Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin together. I agree that this is not much of a "deep thinking" film, but it transforms you magically to this fantastic land ... who would even know if it existed ... and who would care? The soundtrack is phenomenal, as well, and takes you right back to place and time. If you like movies like Ever After, Unbearable Lightness, Hope Floats ... in other words if you're a helpless romantic like me, you'll love this movie ... no question.
Rating:
Summary: Very, very nice
Review: This film will make a nice addition to your DVD library and it is very likely that you will (want to) watch it more than once. The story is very nice and romantic and will provide for a nice setting for your romantic date. The performance of actors is exceptional. Wonderful, accented English. You will enjoy this one! :-)
Rating:
Summary: A little to dull
Review: Chocolat is too long and dull for 2 hours. I cannot belive this film was nominated for Best Picture. Though the other nominations were well deserved except for Best Score. I usually am a sucker for a film like this, but this film tries too hard to be a good romantic comedy. In my opinion, the only thing that saves this film are the wonderful performances by Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. Depp's performance deserved a oscar nomination. I absolutely flipped when I heard this received a Best Picture nomination, and it's nomination should have gone to Wonder Boys. Overall, I give this 2 stars out of 4, only because of the great performances by Dench and Depp.
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