Chocolat (Juliette Brinoche)

(Amazon UK link)

In between watching new DVDs we have been given, we are re-watching some of the films we haven’t seen for about ten years. Last night we decided to see ‘Chocolat’ again, which we last saw in the spring of 2007. I liked it then, slightly better than the book on which it is based by Joanne Harris, to my surprise. But we didn’t remember much about it although I recalled the overall storyline.

The setting of the film is a small French town, one which is ruled by a somewhat uptight Mayor (Alfred Molina) who lives his life with rigid morality. Everyone in the town knows their place, and their duty. They dress conservatively, and all attend the Catholic church regularly. The new young priest (Hugh O’Connor) finds himself judged by the mayor and his sermons re-written, with an emphasis on denial and sin. This is the part I liked a great deal more than the book, where it's the priest who is rigidly judgemental.

Then Vianne (Juliette Binoche), a single mother with a daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) arrives. They are blown in by the wind, arrayed in scarlet cloaks. They rent a shop with lodgings from an elderly lady called Armande (Judi Dench) and turn it into a chocolaterie. The mayor is not pleased, since they have arrived at the beginning of Lent, when everyone is supposed to give up sweets…

There are several storylines which I recalled from the book. Vianne claims to be able to find each person’s favourite brand, using psychology and intuition. Armande is estranged from her grandson Luc (Aurelien Parent Koenig) because her daughter Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss), the Mayor’s secretary, thinks Armande too wild. Vianne brings them together secretly. There’s an abusive husband whose wife is motivated to do something positive by Vianne. There’s another husband, lazy with a tendency to drink rather than anything worse, whose marriage is transformed by a selection of chocolates.

Then Roux (Johnny Depp) arrives on his boat, a traveller whose lifestyle horrifies the townsfolk, especially the mayor...

It’s a story of transformation, of gradual acceptance of new ideas, of moving forward away from tradition and denial. Chocolate is the catalyst for many changes, and there are several scenes showing, briefly, the complex processes by which Vianne makes her chocolates. It’s not a fluffy film, however; there are scenes of violence, albeit fairly brief, and several of the subplots are quite thought-provoking.

The acting is excellent; Judi Dench's character Armande in particular pulled on my heartstrings more than once. Vianne seemed quite believable too, and the Mayor and priest are both excellent. There's some mildly amusing moments, cleverly done, which add a little lightness to what might otherwise be quite a heavy film.

The rating is 12 (PG-13 in the US) which seems about right. There’s implied sensuality but nothing explicit, and I don’t recall any bad language. However there are a couple of quite intense scenes, and some violence, making it an unsuitable film for small children.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews