Chocolat (2000)

A fable of emotional liberation and chocolate. A mother and daughter move to a small French town where they open a chocolate shop. The town, religious and morally strict, is against them as they represent free-thinking and indulgence. When a group of Boat Gypsies float down the river the prejudices of the Mayor leads to a crisis.

"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.

Chocolate was in my eyes a great movie. I'm typically not a fan of movies like these but to watch the characters grow and change overtime was just truly amazing. The main character, Vianne, over came the hardship from the people in the village. Most of the people didn't accept her because they were told by the mayor of the town, who is a huge religious man,that she was no good due to the fact she was opening a chocolate store around the time Lent was beginning. Few people would go into the shop and then less and less started to show because they were being turned against her. She was ready to give it all up and runaway to another new town with her daughter but the friends she made had stood up for her and even had changed the mayors opinion of her. The way she even helped out the older woman to live her last few moments of life to the fullest was just truly amazing even though she was dying pretty fast from her diabetes. This movie is something i would recommend to people who want to watch a good story of characters unfold and how everyone comes together to love one another

Chocolat is a beautiful movie telling a tale of a newly arrived shop owner versus the established order in a Northern French village, post World War II. The movie also has sidebar stories of spousal abuse, difficult parent-child relationships, and romance. The movie has some quirky humour that brings comic relief to the misfortunes. The cast is outstanding with Juliette Binoche, the village's recently arrived chocolatier; Johnny Depp, as Roux another newcomer; and Judy Dench, as the free spirited grandmother who has been ostracized by the village and her own daughter. Leslie Caron has a minor role as one of three widows. Juliette Binoche plays a very warm and somewhat unconventional young woman who takes over a patisserie where she sets up a chocolate shop with flavours that disarm and delight everyone who tastes them. However, the village is not about to embrace the new entrepreneur; the village mayor dislikes anyone who threatens his petty tyranny and this includes the new chocolatier and Johnny Depp's group of merrymaking gypsies. When the small town bigotry turns violent, the village priest, a mere lad, finally breaks from the mayor's rigid code of morality that he has been all too willing to follow. Eventually the two sides in this battle collide. In the end, the chocolate becomes a decisive weapon in the village war. When the dust settles, the viewer can feel a sense of satisfaction in this well paced and thoroughly entertaining movie.