I have owned the video for Chocolat for quite a while, but it seems like I keep forgetting to watch it.  I dusted it off yesterday for an afternoon viewing.  I needed something sweet to chase the awful drubbing my Detroit Lions suffered at the hands of the Superbowl-bound Tennessee Titans.  I have heard many good things about this film, mostly from my good friend Harold (Badbonz0007), who watched this movie at the theater several years ago.  I was not disappointed.

Chocolat tells the story of a young drifter, Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) who blows from town to town with the clever North Wind.  She is a confectioner whose chocolate possesses seemingly magical qualities.  She travels with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) and her imaginary kangaroo.  Set in France in the late 1950s, the small villages that Vianne visits tend to have a low tolerance for her lack of religious fervor and seeming lack of traditional values.  We catch up with Vianne as she and her daughter brave the harsh winds entering a small village on Sunday, where all but one of the villagers appear to be in church.  The lone holdout being Armande Voizin (Judi Dench) who owns a Patisserie that Vianne asks to rent.  Vianne’s arrival in the village sets off rumors and speculation, much of it fueled by the pompous Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina) whose staunch morality appears threatened by Vianne’s arrival.

Reynaud makes it clear that he does not like Vianne, especially when she opens a Chocolate Shoppe in the middle of the Lenten season.  He advises Vianne that her business will not last until Easter.  However, the town soon realizes that Vianne’s chocolate has a magical quality to it.  It rejuvenates the enjoyment in life that many of the locals appear to have missed.  The arrival of river people along the banks of the Village further exacerbates the tension within the community.  Vianne’s acceptance of people and willingness to defy the Reynaud creates an atmosphere of competition that is destined to be counter-productive.  The competition triggers a regretful chain of events.  While these events unfold, the arrival of Vianne changes many dynamics within the Village as her ability to touch people becomes apparent.  Vianne must also learn that helping others means nothing if you don’t help yourself. 

The screenplay for Chocolat was adapted from Joanne Harris’ novel by Robert Nelson Jacobs.  The story does not have a complex theme or strange twists, which makes it fairly predictable.  However, the concept of a chocolatier touching people through sweets and affecting the community is an interesting one.  The characters are interesting, inserting themselves into the lives of the audience.  They seem like genuine people with normal longings.  They are an eclectic group with an array of eccentricities and quirks.  The interactions and growth that the characters experience in response to the events during the story make them all the more enjoyable.  The dialogue was not hackneyed, but was predictable at times.  Although the direction of the movie was easy to guess, it was fun watching the characters lead us through the story.

The casting in Chocolat was excellent.  The characters were deftly brought to life by an experienced professional cast.  Binoche was reunited with her co-star from The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Lena Olin (who played a battered wife, Josephine Muscat).  The two were great opposite each other, providing a firm foundation of friendship around which many of the other cast members were able to build.  Binoche has an inner beauty that seems to shine on celluloid…her performance was stellar.  Molina was also exceptional as the Comte de Reynaud.  The odd behavior of the Count was captured succinctly by Molina, who was very credible as an intolerant overbearing control freak.  Molina has facial gestures which are incredible, telling many stories simply with his brows.  Dench provided a strong supporting role as a seemingly cranky but well-intentioned landlady with an acquired taste for hot chocolate laced with cayenne.  Dench provided a range of emotion based on her interactions that gave her character incredible depth.  She has the ability to touch her audience.  Johnny Depp also had an important role as Roux the river rat gypsy.  Depp was charming and plausible, choosing to create a character with some normalcy rather than his tendency towards offbeat performances.  Roux was actually very normal for a nomadic river traveler.  The cast provided life to a script full of amusing characters. 

Chocolat was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.  The rating was fair, but a little heavy handed.  There was a bit of sexuality, but no nudity.  The implied sexuality was tame and done in good taste.  There was a scene that showed the effects of domestic violence, which involved a slight gash and bruising to a character’s forehead.  There was also an arson which did not result in any loss of life.  The imagery was visually interesting but far from graphic.  Overall, the subject matter seems inherent to the story being told and does not exploit the use of sensuality or violence for effect.  For that reason, I would probably have given this movie a PG rating.  I would definitely allow my ten year old to see this film…it has a lot of good life lessons packed into the two hour viewing time.

I was impressed by Chocolat.  I had high expectations going in, so the opportunity for disappointment was present.  Although predictable, the setting, characters and cast provide a sturdy foundation for an interestingly woven tale.  The predictability was far offset by the story-telling.  An exceptional movie that deserved the many accolades it has received.  I would rate Chocolat four stars out of a possible five.  A twist or two in the plot may have bumped that number up.

Chocolat qualifies for CaptainD’s Good Movie Write Off II.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening