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Times have not changed in the town for decades and Reynaud
is determined that the newcomers will fit into the religious
and social fabric as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, for him, Vianne is her own woman and does
not feel in the slightest drawn to the conservative side of
the town.
In fact, once threatened with her shop being forced out of
business, she takes it upon herself to embrace the outcasts
of the town and so begins a mystical battle of wills between
herself and Reynaud.
This even means openly meeting with the despised river people,
who live on boats and move from town to town, and their handsome
leader Blow (Johnny Depp).
Through mounting difficulties Vianne manages to hold on to
her business and then the mystical properties of her secret
chocolates begin to have an effect on people and move their
lives in inexplicable ways.
She befriends a crochetty old woman (Judi Dench), a battered
wife (Lena Olin) and a number of other troubled people and
turns her new circle of friends into a life-loving group of
revitalised beings.
Binoche is marvellous in the lead role and neatly avoids
the danger of her character being too mysterious and, therefore,
totally unreal.
Molina gets a little closer to stereotype in his role, but
has the ability to emit human frailty while still being a
pain in the backside.
Dench is superb and her troubled relationship with her daughter
(a stunning Carrie-Anne Moss) is one of the strongest subplots
of the movie. Olin's brutal marriage to the cafe owner (Peter
Stormare) is also a winner.
Chocolat is beautifully photographed - the picturesque
village itself is fantastic to look at - and the transfer
on to DVD is first rate. It is flawless, sharp and the colours
are perfect. Sound-wise, your ears are in for a treat.
If you are in the mood for a lovely piece of film-making
that exudes a touch of whimsical magic, then Chocolat
cannot be too highly recommended.
Conclusion: Movie 90%, Extras 80%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
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