Chocolat (Wide Screen) > Reviews > Willy Wonka Meets Joan of Arc

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Characters who are great in their simplicity, great acting
Disadvantages:	Possibly lacking in action for some  -  not me though !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

In "Chocolat" The mayor of a small French town is in uproar when a beautiful stranger (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter open a chocolaterie on the first day of Lent, tempting the folk from the strong Catholic community into trying the devilish delights contained within its walls.

The film shows how Vianne uses her ancient chocolate making skills to bring people together who have been kept apart by the traditional Catholic feelings of guilt - an elderly man and woman, kept apart by the woman's loyalty to her husband who died in the Great War. A boy and his grandmother, kept apart by the middle generation, worried that the grandmother will be a bad influence on her boy. A couple whose desires have been buried in the mists of time since they started out as newlyweds.

When the River people come, stirring prejudice and hatred among the townspeople, Vianne and her daughter manage to overcome the prejudice with the help of the customers whose lives have been altered by Vianne and her daughter. An understated romance also develops between Vianne and one of the rivermen, played by Johnny Depp. This is one of Depp's best performances, with a flawless Irish accent, unmarred by the necessity to spew Americanised sentimentality. One of the few realistic developments of romance I've seen in a film. All the more impressive for the highly unrealistic situation from which it does develop.

With her gentle kindness, and her talent for guessing people's favourite chocolates, Vianne also gives other people in the village courage to make the most of their lives - Josephine (Lena Olin) makes the break from her violent and bullying husband. An old lady, played by the ever superb Judi Dench, is brought out of her grouchy shell, and reunited with her young grandson, altough she hides a secret from Vianne. Even the secret is nothing huge or shocking, but something real. Something real which happens to real people. And Armande deals with her secret as real people deal with it in everyday life.

Some of the best humour in the film comes from the relationship between the fiercely upstanding Mayor, and his puppet, the recently ordained nervous priest who has come to work in the town. I think most people will recognise someone they know in the priest or the mayor - or both.

There are many issues covered in the film. Marital violence, Catholic guilt, Catholic redemption, the divinity and the humanity of God, relationships between families, friends, and people and their religeon. The passing of traditions from mother to daughter, the way we assume what others are thinking. The crossing of social barriers, and of course, a little bit of love.

Of course, non of these issues are covered fully - but that's okay, because that isn't the aim of the film. It's just about real people, and real relationships.

There are many pauses in the dialogue, where you'll find yourself filling in what the person will say. Almost every time, you will find that your prediction has been incorrect. You really don't know what people are going to say. The ending is fitting too - not what I expected at all, but much better.

The characters are well built, with many sides to them - you can tell that the author really cared for each and every one of his characters. The acting is also excellent, without exception, although Binoche excells herself, a wonderful example of beauty maturing with age. Even the children are all "real" people. They cease to be actors performing a single scene, and you begin to imagine where they are when other things are going on, where they are going to and where they've been.

The accents were understated French accents, with the most obvious words in French (maman, madame, bonjour etc). The only slightly suspect part was when people spoke in very light French accents until asked their name when they would lapse into an impossible thick French accent, spew out a long French name with multiple rrrs and plenty of spitting opportunities, then return to the dainty accent they had a minute ago. On the whole though, the language/culture barrier was dealt with very well indeed.

The scenery is picturesque with a simple rustic feel. I wasn't sure when the film was supposed to be set - there weren't really many clues, but this didn't matter. If anything, it makes sense, as the messages within the film are timeless, and will always be relevant. The film is not confined by sex or age barriers. You might need a little bit of imagination, to allow yourself to become completely involved in the film.

There is plenty to think about, if you like films at a deeper level - (try this one: perhaps Vianne really *is* the devil) - but if you don't want to have to think to hard it is very enjoyable at a basic level too.

Heartwarming, funny and sad all at once. And in case you hadn't guessed, I will prepare chocoholics among you for the several scenes which look like they've come straight out of a Galaxy advert. Chocolate swirling round in a bowl, chocolate melting in people's mouths, people's eyes dilating as the melted chocolate runs down their throat, everything to make you wish you'd started your diet tomorrow.

A final word - if you're looking for action, excitement, and far fetched fighting scenes and sentimentality, then look elsewhere. However, if you appreciate realism, in terms of characters and events, and a solid romantic comedy drama, then Chocolat is one not to be missed.