Chocolat is all of that and more. The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. "[8] New York Post's Lou Lumenick called Chocolat "the soothing cinematic equivalent of a warm cup of decadently rich cocoa," led by "melt-in-your-mouth performances" from Binoche, Molina and Dench. Later that night, Serge sets fire to the boat where Josephine and Anouk are sleeping. "[5] In a further negative review, Dennis Lim from The Village Voice criticized the film for its "condescending, self-congratulatory attack on provincial sanctimony." The film garnered a number of accolades, including many for its screenplay, direction, acting, and music. One of the first to fall under the spell of Vianne and her confections is Armande (Judi Dench), her elderly, eccentric landlady. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair. Best Picture. Chocolat grossed some US$152,699,946 worldwide, on a production budget of US$25 million. "[5] Mike Clark of USA Today was more cutting in his review, saying that the film does "never [serve] enough goodies to keep the two-hour running time from seeming like three. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 62% of 117 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.99/10. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. It was directed by Lasse Hallström. As she begins to work at the chocolate shop and Vianne teaches her the craft, Josephine becomes a self-confident, changed woman. Having lost her husband, Caroline is overly protective of Luc and does not even want her son to play. Yes, I forsook the big screen for the video but I wasn't disappointed a bit.Chocolat is a wonderful movie. Both escape unharmed, but Vianne's faith in the village is shaken. Oscar. He felt that the film "is a feast of fine actors – and every one of them is a joy to watch. It deals with real issues that people face. A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community. "[11] New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell found the film "extraordinarily well cast" and wrote: "This crowd-pleaser is the feature-film version of milk chocolate: an art house movie for people who don't like art house movies. The river scenes were filmed at Fonthill Lake at Fonthill Bishop in Wiltshire and interior scenes at Shepperton Studios, England.[1]. Josephine takes over running Serge's café, which she renames Café Armande. For her role Binoche won a European Film Audience Award for Best Actress and was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA. When Caroline sees Luc, who sneaked out to the party, dancing with his grandmother, she begins to see how strict she has been with her son and that his grandmother's influence in his life may, after all, be beneficial. Before Johnny Depp got embroiled in a series of controversies, before he lost his money and movies, and when he still made hearts swoon, the Hollywood star had briefly featured in a drama called Chocolat in 2000 with the immensely talented and just as charismatic French actor Juliette Binoche. The soundtrack was nominated for the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media. 10 celebrity photos you should not miss today. Chocolate movie rating: 3.5 stars. 98 of 122 people found this review helpful. Soon, she and her chocolate influence the lives of the townspeople of this repressed French community in different and interesting ways. In her very unusual chocolate shop, she creates mouth-watering confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness. Music written by Rachel Portman, except where noted. And Robert Nelson Jacobs, who adapted Joanne Harris’ novel of the same name, answers this question succinctly. Together they hold a birthday party for Armande with other villagers and Romani on Roux's boat. After accidentally tasting a morsel of chocolate that fell on his lips, he finally yields to temptation and devours much of the chocolate in the window display before collapsing into tears and eventually falling asleep. Critics gave the drama positive reviews, praising its acting performances, its screenplay and Rachel Portman's score. Directed by Lasse Hallström. The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, aka Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. (2000). Nominee. She opens a chocolatier at the place with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) and they change the lives of the people around them in wondrous, inexplicable ways. Check out the our favorite "Bob's Burgers" episodes that parody other movies and TV series. A young refugee traveling from Russia to America in search of her lost father falls for a gypsy horseman. "[12], Lisa Schwarzbaum, writing for Entertainment Weekly, graded the film with a 'B–' rating, summarizing it "as agreeably sweet as advertised, with a particularly yummy performance by Juliette Binoche,"[13] while Jay Carr from The Boston Globe found that the film "may not be deep, but it certainly is lip-smacking. The characters are believable because they have flaws. But as soon as they coax the townspeople into enjoying their delicious products, they are warmly welcomed. Adapted by screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, Chocolat tells the story of Vianne Rocher, played by Juliette Binoche, who arrives in the fictional French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes at the beginning of Lent with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk. With the return of the north wind, Vianne decides that she cannot win against Reynaud or the strict traditions of the town. The Indian Express is now on Telegram. When single mother Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her six-year-old daughter, Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) move to rural France and open a chocolate shop, with Sunday hours, across the street from the local church, they are met with some skepticism. Chocolat is the story of a mysterious stranger who opens a chocolaterie in a conservative French village in 1959. Chocolat - Official Trailer (HD) Nobody could have imagined the impact that Vianne would make when she arrived in a tranquil, old-fashioned French town. American Cinema Editors, USA 2001. Rachel Portman’s music is heavenly, and the movie doesn’t feel too long, thanks to the editing by Andrew Mondshein, who retains only the significant parts of director Lasse Hallström’s vision. "[10] Mick LaSalle of the Los Angeles Times remarked that the film was "as delectable as its title, but for all its sensuality it is ultimately concerned with the spirit." After her husband violently hits her and injures her head, Josephine leaves him and moves in with Vianne and Anouk. 2001 Nominee Kit Golden. With Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Carrie-Anne Moss. Vianne also develops a friendship with a troubled woman, Josephine (Lena Olin), who is a victim of brutal beatings by her abusive husband Serge (Peter Stormare). Chocolat movie cast: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Carrie-Anne Moss Chocolat Leslie Holleran. She does not fit in well with the townspeople but is nevertheless optimistic about her business. They've got inward struggles which makes this film even better. He found the film was "charming and whimsical, and Binoche reigns as a serene and wise goddess. Juliette Binoche to receive Zurich Film Festival award, The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince/(500) Days of Summer/Homecoming, Jean-Marc Drou Looking for some great streaming picks? The unseen narrator concludes the story: Roux returns in the summer to be with Vianne who, despite her constant need for change, resolves to stay, having found a home for herself and her daughter in the village. She decides to move elsewhere. Academy Awards, USA 2001. David Brown. Both the Easter Sunday sermon and the festival are a success, and the storyteller reveals that Reynaud and Caroline start a relationship half a year later. Horrified at the thought that people could have been killed and fearing that the public would blame him for the arson, Reynaud demands that Serge leaves the village and never return. [9], In his review for Variety, Lael Loewenstein found that "Hallstrom couldn’t have asked for a better cast to embody those themes; likewise, his production team has done an exquisite job of giving life to Robert Nelson Jacobs’ taut script. I want to kick myself now for waiting this long to see it! It received five nominations at the 73rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Vianne wears more colourful clothing than the village women, does not ascribe to religious convention, and has an illegitimate child. One of the best parts about this film is that nearly every important character has its own separate, small arc that fits into the larger scheme of things in the most natural fashion. Despite the shifting sentiment in the town, Reynaud remains staunch in his abstinence from pleasures such as chocolate. Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. The film began a limited release in the United States on December 22, 2000, and went on general release on January 19, 2001. Vianne throws her mother's ashes out the window, which are carried away by the departing north wind. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work. Just as the villagers begin observing the 40 days of Lent, Vianne opens a chocolate shop, much to Reynaud's displeasure. Anvita SinghAnvita Singh is a Senior Sub-editor with Indianexpress.com and has bee... read more, Copyright © 2020 The Indian Express [P] Ltd. All Rights Reserved, Hollywood Rewind | A heavenly bite of Chocolat, Bihar elections: After loyalty ‘warning’ from Lalu, RJD not ready to give Cong more than 60 seats, Punjab: They called us ‘beopari bhai’, now they say ‘lutere’, In Hyderabad, caste turns love story into a story of hate and murder, From PM economic council to Niti Aayog, growing disquiet over Govt tight fist, Balrampur victim had 10 injuries on body: postmortem report, India to provide debt service relief to Myanmar, Sanitiser, masks in lead roles as NSD preps for first show post lockdown, Stopped on way, Rahul, Priyanka make a point —helped by police, https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png, here to join our channel (@indianexpress), Nishabdham movie review: This Anushka Shetty-Madhavan starrer is a dull affair. A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community. He called Chocolat an "airy, pseudo-folkloric gibberish at best."[14]. 2000 British-American romance film directed by Lasse Hallström, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical, Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, "Chocolat: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture (2001 Film): Rachel Portman: Music", "Chocolao: A Romance-Comedy-Fairytale That's Sinfully Sweet", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chocolat_(2000_film)&oldid=980060587, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, David Gropman, John Frankish, Lucy Richardson and Louise Marzaroli, Aurélien Parent-Koenig as Luc Clairmont, Caroline's son, Elisabeth Commelin as Yvette Marceau, woman who buys chocolates as an, Michèle Gleizer as Madame Rivet, village woman who works for the Comte, Dominique MacAvoy as Madame Pouget, village woman, Arnaud Adam as George Rocher, Vianne's father, "Ashes to the Wind / Roux Returns" – 2:18, This page was last edited on 24 September 2020, at 11:02.