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Chocolat Customer Reviews (31 - 33 of 72 Reviews)

A sweet film, no pun intended (wink!)
The movie starts off in the winter of 1959, at the quiet and tranquil French village, where the inhabitants live there lives as quietly as possible. Until one day, driven by fate and a strange wind, Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her duaghter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) arrive in town. The villagers are rightly very curious about the strangers but when Vianne opens a chocolatier, the town's mayor (Alfred Molina) warns off the people against the 'evil'. But even when giving out warnings and instilling a fear for such temptations, the mayor cannot stop the villagers' attraction to not only the chocolatier but the outwardly friendly and irresistable Vianne. Vianne little by little shows the villagers what it means to not only enjoy life, but live it.

"Chocolate" has gotten a total of 5 Oscar nominations: Best Picture (David Brown, Kit Golden, Leslie Holleran), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Juliette Binoche), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Judi Dench), Best Music Original Score (Rachel Portman), and Best Writing (Robert Nelson Jacobs).

First off I must say that the acting done by such an all-star cast is superbly done. Notably Juliette Binoche, with her beauty and charming accnet, is vibrant in her role as the woman Vianne who can't help but be different from everyone else. Alfred Molina also handles his character with what seems like the greatest of ease. Sort of the bad guy in the movie, but can't help loving him by the end of the movie. There's Judi Dench as a elderly woman made an outcast by her own daughter (played by Carrie-Ann Moss you won't believe as the same Trinity we know and love!). There's also Lena Olin who acts out her character of a battered wife to perfection, Leslie Caron in a role you can hardly recognize, and the young priest played by Hugh O'Conor (there's one scene where he sings and dances to "Hound Dog" which is very cute!). And of course I mustn't forget Johnny Depp as Roux, the Irish gypsy who falls for Vianne. Unfortunately he had a very small role in the film but was an adorable match for Juliette Binoche. Of course he could have worked on his accent a bit since it comes and goes often.

As for the movie itself, the plot is nothing too complicated or too original. In fact, some like me might find many similarities to the Disney movie "Pollyana". There's an outcast who ultimately though reaches to each and everyone in the town. There's a kind of 'bad guy' who chooses what kind of sermons will be preached.

The reason for my 3 stars is because I thought that besides the marvelous acting, the movie itself felt a bit slow and nothing remarkable. And most of all, whoever decided to categorize this movie as a romantic/comedy must have not really read the script. The romance is more like a subplot and "Chocolat" is more like a drama than a comedy. Sure, there are a few moments where you can chuckle or even laugh a bit. But no a laugh-out loud movie at all.

So in conclustion, "Chocolat" is a sweet movie which flows along at an even pace. A film to watch when you have a few hours to spare where you don't have to concentrate that much. Oh, and a bit of trivia. Johnny Depp plays guitar in this movie in three scenes, and also does on one song on the soundtrack.

A bittersweet tale enhanced by a superb ensemble cast
"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.

Slight but Sweet.
Director Lasse Hallstrom has become Miramax's Golden Boy of the moment: his 1999 picture, "Cider House Rules" won 2 Academy Awards, and his 2000 "Chocolat" grabbed a handful of nominations as well. It's a simple fable about a nomad (Juliette Binoche) who settles in an ultraconservative French town and opens up a chocotat store--smack dab in the middle of Lent. The town's Mayor, pastor, and many of its residents are none too pleased with this lady, who doesn't share their Catholic beliefs. The film goes on to stress the importance of tolerance, but the movie is so handsomely produced that you forget how simplistic this story really is. Nevertheless, it's a well-assembled DVD package with decent picture and sound as well as a nice featurette that includes the cast and crew members. "Chocolat" didn't quite deserve to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but it's a decent fable that will pass 2 hours of your time nicely. Like the confection after which it's named, "Chocolat" is slight but sweet.

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