reviewed by: Carissa Horton
     

The Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina) runs his small village in France with an iron fist, where you do what is considered traditional and never try to break outside of that mold. However, all that is about to change when the wind blows two red-cloaked figures into these townsfolk's lives. Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter Anouk are hardly what one would expect. She refuses to bow to the regular traditions, does not attend Mass with the rest of the villagers, indulges in chocolate, and her child has no father. You can imagine the Comtes surprise when this stubborn woman opens a Chocolaterie, during Lent no less. He expects Vianne to last in his town no more than a few months; he isn't prepared for her tenacity. 

Vianne brings a new outlook with her like a breath of fresh air that the villagers begin to cling to. Slowly the people are drawn to her; for her kindness as well as her heavenly chocolate that makes their world appear brighter. Yet nothing ever happens as one would hope. Vianne's acceptance into the village is becoming more noticeable by the day, until the gypsies arrive with their supposed loose and immoral ways. Vianne is drawn to them like a fly to honey, particularly to their leader, Rioux (Johnny Depp). Despite the talk among the villagers, Vianne befriends these people who are no different from so many others she has known. The line has been drawn in the sand, and Vianne is caught in the middle.

This movie is engaging but like most, does have some faults. Vianne tells Anouk the story of her parents, how they met and fell in love. It is told in a flashback pattern and you see a very strong love scene with little left to the imagination. There is obvious nudity from the waist up of both partners that was completely unnecessary. A prolonged kissing scene between Vianne and Rioux is also added. There is also some crude language, such as b**ch, and one use of Gods name in vain. A man also attempts to strangle Vianne when she stands up to defend his wife. Vianne uses an old Mayan custom to discover what type of chocolate belongs with a person, which appears to be almost new age after a fashion. She even has a particular type of chocolate that is supposed to rouse a person sexually. A fertility celebration is planned for Easter Sunday by Vianne, and there is a nude female chocolate sculpture. Here is another hesitation I had about accepting this movie completely: Vianne does not believe in God, at least she never references to it.

Yet she is portrayed as a godsend to the people. An angel who opens the door to discovering who they really are, whereas the supposed Christians are portrayed as square with no vision or ability to relax and enjoy life. One good insight however, was reached by the end of the movie. The townspeople learned not to judge others simply because they are different or don't fit into a particular pattern. In spite of the few faults, I found Chocolat to be a wonderful film with interesting views. Johnny Depp is his usual whimsical self and adds heart. The gypsies are enjoyable and lively characters who bring enthusiasm to the film which would have been otherwise lacking. Its not for young children, mostly because of the storyline which most children wouldn't understand. Older teenagers and adults would most likely enjoy this movie as much as I did, especially if they are Johnny Depp fans. In the end, I believe the good outweighs the bad, so I give it a thumbs up!