Themes: Culture Clash, Cooks and Chefs, Mothers and Daughters
Main Cast: Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina
Release Year: 2000
Country: US
Run Time: 121 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
The most tempting of all sweets becomes the key weapon in a battle of sensual pleasure versus disciplined self-denial in this comedy. In 1959, a mysterious woman named Vianne (Juliette Binoche) moves with her young daughter into a small French village, where much of the community's activities are dominated by the local Catholic church. A few days after settling into town, Vianne opens up a confectionery shop across the street from the house of worship -- shortly after the beginning of Lent. While the townspeople are supposed to be abstaining from worldly pleasures, Vianne tempts them with unusual and delicious chocolate creations, using her expert touch to create just the right candy to break down each customer's resistance. With every passing day, more and more of Vianne's neighbors are succumbing to her sinfully delicious treats, but the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), the town's mayor, is not the least bit amused; he is eager to see Vianne run out of town before she leads the town into a deeper level of temptation. Vianne, however, is not to be swayed, and with the help of another new arrival in town, a handsome Irish Gypsy named Roux (Johnny Depp), she plans a "Grand Festival of Chocolate," to be held on Easter Sunday. Based on the novel by Joanne Harris, Chocolat features a distinguished supporting cast, including Judi Dench, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare, Hugh O'Conor, and Leslie Caron. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Peter Stormare - Serge Muscat; Carrie-Anne Moss - Caroline Clairmont; Leslie Caron - Madame Audel; John Wood - Guillaume Blerot; Hugh O'Conor - Pere Henri; Victoire Thivisol - Anouk Rocher; Aurelien Parent Koenig - Luc Clairmont; Arnaud Adam
Credit
John Frankish - Art Director, Kerry Barden - Casting, Billy Hopkins - Casting, Suzanne Smith - Casting, Mark Cooper - Co-producer, Renee Ehrlich Kalfus - Costume Designer, Stephen P. Dunn - First Assistant Director, Lasse Hallström - Director, Andrew Mondshein - Editor, Alan C. Blomquist - Executive Producer, Bob Weinstein - Executive Producer, Harvey Weinstein - Executive Producer, Meryl Poster - Executive Producer, Michelle Raimo - Executive Producer, Rachel Portman - Composer (Music Score), Bob Last - Musical Direction/Supervision, David Gropman - Production Designer, Roger Pratt - Cinematographer, David Brown - Producer, Leslie Holleran - Producer, Kit Golden - Producer, Stephenie McMillan - Set Designer, Chris Munro - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert Nelson Jacobs - Screenwriter, Stephenie McMillan - Set Decorator, Michelle Raimo - Co-Executive Producer, Joanne Harris - Book Author
Vianne Rocher, (Juliette Binoche) like her ancestors, drifts across France. In the winter of 1959, she travels to a tranquil French village, where she and her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) open a small chocolaterie. The store imbues both wonder and angst within the classical villagers as it opens during the forty days of Lent.
Soon, Vianne's allure and confections enlivens a married couple's aphrodisia, encourages an elderly man's secret love, brings rapport with a willful diabetic, and comforts an awkward woman who longs to leave her drunk and abusive husband. Nonetheless, the devout village mayor, Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), sees Vianne as an immoral provocateur and quietly contests against her. The battle peaks when a band of river gypsies camp on the village outskirts and Vianne finds a mutual attraction with the Manush Romani (Gypsy) Roux (Johnny Depp).
The film grossed some US$152,699,946 worldwide, on a production budget of US$25 million.[1]
The film was nominated for many awards, including five Academy Awards including Best Picture. Among significant awards won for work on this picture were the Art Directors Guild award, 2001, for Excellence in Production Design, the Bogey Award given by the German journal "Blickpunkt: Film", based on audience numbers in a certain time, the Audience Award, 2001, of the European Film Awards, for Juliette Binoche, and the Screen Actors Guild award 2001, to Judi Dench for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. The film also attracted numerous BAFTA nominations and Rachel Portman's score was nominated for a Grammy Award.
