Chocolat

Starring: Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugh O'Conor, John Wood, Peter Stormare, Leslie Caron, Victoire, Thivisol
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter (Victoire Thivisol) open a chocolate shop in a small French town, much to the chagrin of the pious, restrained mayor (Alfred Molina).

Review:

Tim: I thoroughly enjoyed Lasse Hallstrom's Chocolat. I actually liked it even better than I expected to. The film is a delightful little story- it has drama, romance, and chocolate. This movie was easy to watch, occasionally powerful, and had much more depth than you might otherwise think. I loved how Hallstrom produced a film that felt light and smooth on the outside, but definitely had some rich filling underneath (get it, cause of the chocolate??). This is a really good movie.

What impressed me most is how quickly I connected with the characters in this small French town. Our protagonist moves into the town and opens up a chocolate shop. This immediately angers the conservative majority, who don't like that the woman does not attend church, is unconstrained by their values and rules, and tempts the townspeople with her treats and her beliefs. We're immediately drawn into a conflict, and it's easy to identify with the fun, freespirited woman going up against the rigid, traditionalists in the village. I loved that tension, and it fuels a lot of the drama for the entire film.

However, what really makes this special is the cast of characters we meet in the town. Each have their own hopes, dreams, and challenges, and we're immediately caught up in all of it. That part was fascinating and fun to watch. Juliette Binoche gives a very strong performance as the chocolatire causing all the uproar. She was excellent in the film. However, it's the supporting cast that makes this film special. We have an elderly woman played by Judi Dench who is estranged from her daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss, whom I've always liked), and her grandson. We have a neglected, abused woman played by Lena Olin, and her alcoholic husband, played by Peter Stormare. We have a river rat drifter played by Johnny Depp, and of course, the instigator of the moral right, played wonderfully by Alfred Molina. There's many other characters, too, and the script helps us quickly identify with each of them. I loved that aspect of the film- I felt like I was living right alongside them in this little village.

This focus on characters first is what makes Chocolat such an enjoyable movie to watch. Hallstrom does such a great job of focusing all of our attention on this village and its inhabitants. I found myself getting caught up in it all- that's a very rare feat to pull off. This is an example of a film that can be enthralling without explosions, fighting, or any of those elements Hollywood believes are must-haves to hold audiences' attention. This movie achieves it with realistic, believable characters, interesting drama, and a touch of romance.

While I was watching this film, I honestly believed it might have been a truly great movie. Unfortunately, there's one flaw that really held the movie back. For the majority of the movie, we feel the story building. It seems like when everything comes to a head, that's when the movie would be at its best. Unfortunately, I felt like the resolution at the end was rushed and a bit too unbelievable. I really wanted something powerful to happen, to see how this woman would change the villagers' minds, to win her enemies over. When we finally get to that point in the story, the movie does an underwhelming job at it. It almost feels like overnight, everything gets fixed. I really wanted a stronger focus on how that happened.

So, I wouldn't say that I believe Chocolat is a great movie. But, it does get really, really close. I have so many positive thoughts and memories about watching this movie. It was really an entertaining, insightful, enjoyable movie, and I had a lot of fun watching it. It surpassed my expectations, and this is certainly a movie I would recommend to others. This is a strong, strong film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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