Chocolat (2000)
While visiting with friends, the idea of watching a movie was brought up. Our host picked Chocolat because she thought it would please everyone attending regardless of our affinities and prejudices. She later admitted it's her favorite movie. No matter what mood she's in, it brings a smile to her face. Johnny Depp's presence helps - I'm told his face is worth a lot. I wouldn't put Depp as a key selling point since he's not in it that much but the rest of her reasoning is bang on. It's an erotic fable (without being too raunchy) that's just like its namesake: warm and satisfying. It’s a delight.
Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) move into a quiet French village to set up a chocolaterie. Despite the town’s obsession with tradition and piety (much to the satisfaction of the mayor, played by Alfred Molina), Vianne’s chocolates slowly begin charming the residents.
Chocolat might as well be set in the same town that banned Kevin Bacon from dancing, except set in France and in 1959. Spend enough time there, however, and you'll see things aren't so simple. Mayor Comte de Reynaud initially seems to be a one-dimensional bad guy. He’s manipulative and obsessed with order. He even oversees the pastor’s sermon on Sunday - making countless alterations to it - before it can be read. He’s the main antagonist and you hate him until you realize he’s a real human being. Everyone here is. Even Vianne is a person with her own set of strengths and weaknesses. It isn't long before you recognize something of yourself in every one of them.
The film is about a woman who doesn’t fit in. In every way possible she’s the odd person out in this small town. What it's really about is an artist who decides to take on the stuffy establishment. A chocolaterie is a perfect analogy for her rebellion. Like a beautiful painting or a song, it seems to have no nutritional value. In fact, totalitarian autocrats will argue that it’s bad for you and easily conjure charts that demonstrate how a diet composed entirely of chocolate will kill you. They’d be right but wrong as well. The absence of what chocolate represents is just as detrimental to your health. It may not add years to your life, but it adds life to your years.
The performances are uniformly excellent. I was going to enumerate those who stand out until I realized I’d be naming everyone. Let’s just say that from the youngest child actress (Victoire Thivisol) to the veterans (Judy Dench) everyone shines. It’s got the right mix of laughs, romance, and the kind of drama that gets you all riled up. It’s light and frothy, but at being a sweet treat of a film it’s so good you can’t hold its humble ambitions against it.
Chocolat sucks you into this world and makes you fall in love with its characters. For all those reasons and more, it's a great pick for date night. (On DVD, March 20, 2016)
