ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

dncorp Having lived allover the World as U.S. Military, living at Villages just like this Chocolat 1959 Village, except from the 1960s till decades later. This movie is so accurate of life in a village, but not a stereotype.Some of the villages I lived at were even smaller. A dozen homes and businesses at the center surrounded by miles of farmland and some (large) homes within walking distance of the center of the village. Typical of the villages I lived at orange ceramic tile roofs, with white buildings, cobblestone streets.Takes months to years for the locals to trust you. But once they do, their trust is for life.Some of the Common Rules. Church on Sunday absolutely no work. Saturday Recreation no loud noise work like mowing the lawn, expected that you are at the local Village Bar, Tavern, Gasthaus Saturday Evening to discuss anything. Police yourself and each other, as the nearest Law Enforcement is miles away at the nearest Town, this adds an extra layer of Security as if a Villager sees something suspicious everybody knows within minutes with a dozen or more Villagers taking a look. Every Year you were expected to participate in the dozen or more Village Festivals celebrating Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Planting, Harvest, Beer, Wine, whatever crop(s) they grow, Founder's Day, and many more or be considered "Anti Social".

Filipe Neto 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 The problem is that this woman does not fit into that society, outdated by nature and led by a deeply backward aristocrat, clinging to the ancient privileges of her lineage.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.

mirkobozic I admit I'm not entirely objective when it comes to foodie movies. Being passionate about (good) food, give me a decent plot with lots of gorgeous food and it will be good in my book. But Lasse Halstrom's little confection is beyond that, still. A story of Vianne(Juliette Binoche), a single mother who moves into a quiet little French town with her daughter and opens a chocolaterie during lent upsetting the spirits in the otherwise peaceful and pious community by bringing a breeze of something different and delicious into the lives of the locals, also solving some of their problems along the way, like wife abuse, mother- daughter issues and elderly romance. However, Vianne finds her nemesis in Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), the town's major who's determined to keep his community devote and away from Vianne's sinfully delicious temptations. When the river rats, headed by Roux(Johnny Depp) come along,the situation reaches its boiling point. Let's start with the (numerous) good sides of the film. The cinematography is amazing, the little town looks like it's enchanted, and Rachel Portman's wonderful soundtrack certainly supports the impression. The cast is equally impressive: Judy Dench, Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Afred Molina and Johnny Depp add considerable wattage to the story. Especially the delicate Binoche, who succeeds in making Vianne very life-like and sympathetic. Dench's sarcastic grandmother provides a great contrast to her boring daughter(Carrie- Ann Moss). The scene with the poetry book is almost equally Oscar-worthy as her famous "too late" from Shakespeare in Love. As for the weak sides of the film, the characters are structured in a very flat, b/w sort of way, and it seems their only function is embodying stereotypes (the conservative mayor, the free-thinking confectioner, the cynical old lady)and provide contrasts to each other. Do make sure you have a substantial amount of chocolate pralines while watching, otherwise it will feel like the confectionery equivalent of water-boarding. I could watch this all over again.

marywatkins-72706 "Chocolat" was directed by Lasse Hallstrom, a man with a developed sense to present human emotion and weakness. Juliette and Judi play two women with strong opinions and a hard-guard because of fear of being injured. The town scene, accompanied with music, creates an atmosphere as if time has stopped. Residents secretly want to go forward, toward something else but well rooted they stay anchored. The shop is located on the square, opposite the church, symbolically portraying the battle that follows. A lot of messages are here, torn by the old way of life and the desire to go into hiding, afraid of the uncertainty that the new time brings and how the smallest thing can make the greatest difference. Lase Halstromov "Chocolat" is a treat you'll want to try again.