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Chocolat Customer Reviews (40 - 42 of 72 Reviews)

a trifle - but a nice one
"Chocolat" is a winsome fable, more notable, perhaps, for its mood and atmosphere than for its rather hackneyed plotting and timeworn theme. It's true that many viewers may be put off at first by what would appear to be the anti-Christian (particularly anti-Catholic) subtext that seems to run through the story. But, rest assured, the film ends up not attacking religion - merely redefining its terms.

The lovely and radiant Juliette Binoche stars as Vianne, a young unwed mother, who, with her charming daughter, enters a small, morally uptight French village in 1959. There, much to the dismay of the rigid and intolerant Roman Catholic mayor, she sets up a chocolateri, during Lent of all times, and proceeds to dispense confections that (as in "Like Water For Chocolate") seem to exert a magical influence on the villagers who partake of them. The chocolate is, of course, a muted metaphor for the eternal conflict that has been waged throughout history between those who view sensual pleasures as "sins" and those who see them as natural and morally neutral human desires. The film certainly comes out foursquare in favor of the latter view, showing the dangers that can result when people become obsessed with repressing their basic human needs and end up isolating those who believe, think or live differently. Vianne, and those who rally to her cause, are viewed as warm and loving free spirits, placed in stark contrast to the mayor and his minions who appear as crabbed, morose and intolerant cretins.

But "Chocolat" is less impressive for the story it tells than for the magical mood it weaves thanks to its charming setting, its spirit of sly fun and, above all, the radiance of Binoche, who demonstrates once again that she was truly made for the camera. Despite the rather bizarre clash of accents that results, the film utilizes a vast international cast that includes American Johnny Depp, British Judi Dench, and French Leslie Caron.

Like many of the rural French comedies on which it appears to be patterning itself, "Chocolat" seems, at times, as artificial and lightweight as the truffles it features. Yet, even though its message is not exactly original and radical, in this day and age when many religions seem to measure their closeness to God based on how many rules they can make for us to follow and how many groups of people they can manage to keep on the outside, it is nice to be reminded that the purpose of religion is to gather people together into a circle of common humanity. And what better meeting ground than the one truly universal desire we all do share: our unabashed and undying love for chocolate?

Chocolat
I didn't get all the hype around Chocolat that everyone made it seem.The acting and dialogue aren't the problem.The film is just extremely strange which made me kind of like it, but it was to odd and boring at times.It tells a sweet tale and ends well but I just didn't get into it.Binoche does a great job along with much of the cast.The characters are loved and you hurt when they are hurt but it doesn't pay back for the dullness.I just can't sit two hours through a film like that.I get bored and start to doze off especially later at night.Don't get me wrong it has a sort of heart warming tale and great looking chocolate but that doesn't help a movie get a good rating.Johnny Depp and Judi Dench especially do a fabulous job and Dench really was in my opinion a stronger and more believable character.Another thing that is interesting about the film is the setting and it's moral.I didn't like the cloudly dark feeling around the film either.The overall major problems though are the dullness and unusual plot; also it is a bit predictable.I really only reccomend this one if you are very easily impressed by all movies or you may want to check it out if your bored.

It is the late 1950s, but it might as well be the late 1850s in a small French town where everyone behaves as they should (supposedly), and attends church regularly. When a strong North wind blows through town, it brings the vivacious and mysterious Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). Vianne is soon the talk of the town: an unwed mother who declines to go to church and opens up a chocolate shop in the midst of Lent. Her good-natured, honorable personality and psychic ability (she can predict what kind of sweets best suit each person, and magically cures each of them of their particular maladies) make her as irresistible as her delectable treats. However, Vianne and her daughter are resented by the conservative mayor, the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), and by the pious Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss), who has disowned her own spirited mother (Judi Dench, who plays Vianne's landlady), refusing the elderly woman access to her beloved grandson.This touching fairy tale, based on the novel by Joanne Harris, was filmed on location in rural France. An intelligent, exquisitely filmed fable that deals with the idea of 20th Century paganism rising up against a closed-minded church and a persevering aristocracy, CHOCOLAT is enjoyable, romantic, and entertaining, with affecting performances by both its stars and its supporting actors (Lena Olin and Johnny Depp.)

Lovely and Enchanting
"Chocolat" is a movie based on Joanne Harris's novel of the same name. I recommend experiencing both.

This movie is visually stunning with alot of work having been done to perfect the scenery so that the viewer is transported into a quaint little French Town. The musical score is upbeat and passionate which adds a special dimension to the film.

Johnny Depp does an excellent job as the gypsy drifter that is greeted with reserve and prejudice by the uptight townspeople. Juliette Binoche plays the single woman with child who blows into town with a wind and leaves it in stiches. She opens a chocolate shop and falls prey to the overly religious mayor of the town because she entices others to sin during lent. I have to say that my favorite character is played by Dame Judy Dench, she is the free spirit of the town refusing in all of her years to be programmed by the rest of the world. She indulges in the delicious chocolate despite being diabetic and scolded by doctors and her own daughter. The chocolate becomes its own character managing to magically cure all of the towns ills if they allow it to work its sweet way into their deepest desires.

A sweetly sinful indulgence indeed!!

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