Chocolat (2000)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers (WGA):

Joanne Harris (based on the novel by)
Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 January 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A comic fable from the director of "The Cider House Rules".

Plot:

A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.

Plot Keywords:

Chocolate | France | Lent | 1960s | Church

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

Alfred Molina	...	Comte de Reynaud
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Caroline Clairmont
Aurelien Parent Koenig	...	Luc Clairmont (as Aurèlien Parent Koenig)
Antonio Gil	...	Jean-Marc Drou (as Antonio Gil-Martinez)
Hélène Cardona	...	Francoise Drou
Harrison Pratt	...	Dedou Drou
Gaelan Connell	...	Didi Drou
Elisabeth Commelin	...	Yvette Marceau
Ron Cook	...	Alphonse Marceau
Guillaume Tardieu	...	Baptiste Marceau
Hugh O'Conor	...	Pere Henri
John Wood	...	Guillaume Blerot
Lena Olin	...	Josephine Muscat
Peter Stormare	...	Serge Muscat
Leslie Caron	...	Madame Audel

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for a scene of sensuality and some violence.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (Certificate No. 37889) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Chile:14 | Denmark:A | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Beynac, Dordogne, France

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Anouk's imaginary kangaroo's name is spelled Pantoufle, not Pantouf. This is clear in the closed-captioning. Pantoufle means "slipper" in French (this makes slightly more sense in the book, where Pantoufle is a rabbit).

Goofs:

Continuity: Early in film when Vianne makes Amande her first cup of chocolate, she fills the cup only half full of chocolate. Then she adds the chili pepper and the whipped cream. When she places the cup of hot chocolate in front of Amande, the cup is very full.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Storyteller: Once upon a time, there was a quiet little village in the French countryside, whose people believed in Tranquilité - Tranquility. If you lived in this village, you understood what was expected of you. You knew your place in the scheme of things. And if you happened to forget...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Sweets and Sour Marge (#13.8)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Start The Day Right

Mmmm, Mmmm, Good!

I had heard all the rave reviews, saw the number of Oscar nominations this flick received but still wasn't convinced it was a movie I'd like. I want to kick myself now for waiting this long to see it! Yes, I forsook the big screen for the video but I wasn't disappointed a bit.

Chocolat is a wonderful movie. It deals with real issues that people face. The characters are believable because they have flaws. They've got inward struggles which makes this film even better. It's a story of the human condition and how even deep prejudices can be overcome by the simple act of kindness and the willingness to strive for individuality.

I have to admit the only reason I wanted to watch this movie at first was because of Johnny Depp. I have to say I loved his performance as Roux. I wished the writers would've done more with his character but what we did get to feast on was incredible. Juliette Binoche was also incredible as Vianne and the chemistry between all the actors was great.

I would recommend Chocolat. If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? It's great to see there are still film makers out there that have a sense of humanity. Chocolat is all of that and more.

Chocolat was indeed Mmmm, Mmmm, good!!