Most of you know I am trying to lose weight. (Great! Those who didn’t, now do!). Me and my big mouth. As Mayunk says, I suffer from foot in mouth disease. So these days to appease my craving for chocolate, I either indulge rarely or take the sinfully sensual visual delight route through the movie Chocolat.
You are immediately drawn in the world with story for grown ups that starts with “Once upon a time in a little village in France…” The opening scene shows you the main people from village and their quirks during the Sunday mass. The domineering Mayor Reynaud, the young timid Father – Pere Henri, the jumpy Josephine and her terror husband Serge, Caroline the widow who keeps a tight leash on her son Luc and so on. Yet the villagers accept things as they are, do what they are expected to do and if they don’t Comte Reynaud is always there to correct their “mistakes”.
You know what exactly means when you hear Josephine say, “In this place, if you want anything more than cooking three meals for your husband, take care of children and vacuum under your husband’s a$$, then you are considered mad.”
In such a town, along with the sly north wind come Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk along with her kangaroo, Pantoufle (imaginary ou non is for you to decide. He is as imaginary Calvin’s Hobbe!).They walk into Madame Voizin’s house to rent her patisserie, who incidentally is a 70year old rebel! Soon you see the old and dusty patisserie transforming itself into a gorgeous place with colourful knickknacks and pretty drawings on the wall. The Comte comes to meet her and to invite her to the mass. She simply says we don’t attend, but it’s nice to sing with the church bells. Comte Reynaud, a man of deep religious faiths is deeply offended and from there on the battle lines are drawn.
Vianne opens the shop as chocolaterie serving the most delicious chocolates. Inspite of Comte’s efforts her shop slowly becomes popular. It almost becomes some kind of confessional where people poured their heart out, laughed a little, found cure to spice up their love lives, found courage to start afresh, all to the dismay of Reynaud who is now seething with anger.
Vianne helps Josephine get out of her abusive relationship with Serge, Armande to get in touch with her estranged grandson Luc, Guillame propose to the charming old widow Audel and all this with delicate looking chocolate seashells, the rose cream ones and the hot chocolate with a pinch of chilly pepper!
Enter a boat full of gypsies or River Rats, as the Comte calls them. The Comte runs a campaign against them and as expected Vianne shelters them and even makes friends with Roux, the lovable ruffian gypsy. Sparks fly and Vianne and Roux, both realize that they are drifters who will never be able to settle in one place. They talk about how Anouk hates being dragged from one place to another. They talk some more and make love.
Lot of things happen, till Vianne realizes that the north wind that brought her here is again whispering in her ears… telling her to move on to another place… there are more friends yet to be helped…
Does she move again, what happens to Roux, does the Comte come around, do estranged daughter and mother (Armande and Caroline) come together? For all the magic and more you HAVE to watch Chocolat. There is so much you can write about it, but it will make the review TOO long and take the fun away from watching the movie.
The performances are just superb. Juliette Binoche as Vianne shows her care a damn attitude and vulnerability perfectly. Johny Depp as Roux is the next dishiest looking thing after chocolate and Victoire as pretty Anouk who talks to Pantoufle for everything is adorable! Judi Dench as Armande Voizin has done her career best role as the feisty old lady with a sharp tongue and heart of gold. Lena Olin has acted out Josephine’s transformation from an unkempt scared housewife to a beautiful independent woman really well.
Apart from this, the biggest performer is Chocolate itself. You can’t help but feel sinful and go weak in knees when you see that dark chocolate that starts as cocoa beans, moves on to a thick sauce and ends up as orgasmic looking sweets.
My favourite dialogues that always make me smile;
Vianne to raging Comte while offering him chocolates“Some Nipples of Venus for you?”
Josephine to Comte “Ask him to repent on someone else’s head.” when Comte tells her that Serge will be made to repent.
Some kid teasing Anouk tells her she doesn’t have a father. Anouk says “Of course I do. We just don’t know who he is”
Anouk to Vianne “Why cant you wear black shoes like all other mothers?”
The book by Joanne Harris is on which the movie is based is even better. So make sure you read the book, for that little bit of extra…
While this has nothing to do with the movie this is my favourite saying in my favourite dessert shop “No point in crying over spilt in milk, UNLESS it is Chocolate milk!!”
If gluttony is sin, may I never reform. Amen!