Chocolat
by Lasse Hallström
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alfred Molina, Aurelien Parent Koenig, Carrie-Anne Moss, Judi Dench, Juliette BinocheDirector: Lasse Hallström
Producer: Alan C. Blomquist
Producer: Bob Weinstein
Producer: David Brown
Producer: Harvey Weinstein
Producer: Kit Golden
Writer: Joanne Harris
Writer: Robert Nelson Jacobs
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); French (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 121 minutes
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: ALL
Movie Reviews of Chocolat
Movie Review: Long live chocolate
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie can be viewed in either French or English. Binoche, who is perfectly bilingual does both versions. She skillfully persuades an originally hostile community (lead on by a hypocritical mayor and priest) that it is not sinful to enjoy chocolate. An Oscar recipient for her supporting role in The English Patient, Binoche
proves to be an outstanding actress, lovely to look at. I highly recommend the picture, which will also make your mouth water when you see all the luscious chocolate varieties that Binoche offers.
Summary of Chocolat
With movies like Chocolat, it's always best to relax your intellectual faculties and absorb the abundant sensual pleasures, be it the heart-stopping smile of chocolatier Juliette Binoche as she greets a new customer, an intoxicating cup of spiced hot cocoa, or the soothing guitar of an Irish gypsy played by Johnny Depp. Adapted by Robert Nelson Jacobs from Joanne Harris's popular novel and lovingly directed by Lasse Hallström, the film covers familiar territory and deals in broad metaphors that even a child could comprehend, so it's no surprise that some critics panned it with killjoy fervor. Their objections miss the point. Familiarity can be comforting and so can easy metaphors when placed in a fable that's as warmly inviting as this one.Driven by fate, Vianne (Binoche) drifts into a tranquil French village with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol, from Ponette) in the winter of 1959. Her newly opened chocolatier is a source of attraction and fear, since Vianne's ability to revive the villagers' passions threatens to disrupt their repressive traditions. The pious mayor (Alfred Molina) sees Vianne as the enemy, and his war against her peaks with the arrival of "river rats" led by Roux (Depp), whose attraction to Vianne is immediate and reciprocal. Splendid subplots involve a battered wife (Lena Olin), a village elder (Judi Dench), and her estranged daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss), and while the film's broader strokes may be regrettable (if not for Molina's rich performance, the mayor would be a caricature), its subtleties are often sublime. Chocolat reminds you of life's simple pleasures and invites you to enjoy them. --Jeff Shannon
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