Review of Chocolat (2000) by Filipeneto — 11 Jun 2018

This film is a kind of modern tale and speaks essentially of the right to be different and of the injustice we can commit when judging a person we do not know simply because it is different from us. The story, set in a small French conservative village in the sixties, shows the difficulties a woman feels in integrating and thriving a factory of handmade chocolates. The problem is that this woman does not fit into that society, outdated by nature and led by a deeply backward aristocrat, clinging to the ancient privileges of her lineage. She is modern, single mom and her sweet ones have the ability to awaken the most secret desires of those who eat them. It gets worse later, with the arrival of a group of gypsies, which the village initially faces as dangerous rioters. For those who are inattentive, the film may seem like a harsh criticism of the Catholic Church and conservatism, but it is not. It uses religion as a vehicle for criticizing hypocrisy, those people who speak one thing and act in a totally opposite way for convenience, shyness or fear of criticism.

The film has excellent scenarios and everything fits very well in context and historical time. The connection between Vianne and the ancient Amerindian people seems a bit forced but ends up being digestible with the unfolding of the film. The actors generally did a great job, but there are three that deserve a special mention, on merit: Juliette Binoche, who plays Vianne in a very pleasant and convincing way, Alfred Molina, in the role of the ultra-conservative Count and Judi Dench, who gave life to the eccentric Armande. The film also features Johnny Depp as the gypsy boss, but he is clearly lefting in this film. His character does not fit well and he lacks chemistry with the cast, particularly Binoche. It was a mistake to conceive his character the way it was conceived.