Chocolat (movie)
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
- This article is about the 2000 movie. For the 1999 novel that the film was based upon, see Chocolat. Also, a completely different movie titled Chocolat and directed by Claire Denis was made in 1988.
| Chocolat | |
| |
| Directed by | Lasse Hallström |
| Written by | Joanne Harris (novel), Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenplay) |
| Starring | Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench |
| Produced by | Harvey Weinstein |
| Distributed by | Miramax |
| Release date | December 15, 2000 |
| Runtime | 121 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $--- |
| IMDb page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241303/) | |
Chocolat is a 2000 movie based on the novel Chocolat by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of a young mother (Vianne Rocher, played by Juliette Binoche) who arrives at a fictional oppressed French village (Lansquenet-sous-Tannes) with her six-year-old daughter (Anouk) and opens La Céleste Praline a small chocolaterie. Vianne's chocolate quickly begins to change the lives of the townspeople.
In 2000, the novel was made into a motion picture, filmed in the village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy, France.
| Contents |
Overview
Adapted by Robert Nelson Jacobs from Joanne Harris's popular novel and lovingly directed by Lasse Hallström, the film covers familiar territory and deals in broad metaphors that even a child could comprehend, so it's no surprise that some critics panned it with killjoy fervor. Their objections miss the point. Familiarity can be comforting and so can easy metaphors when placed in a fable that's as warmly inviting as this one.
Driven by fate, Vianne drifts into a tranquil French village with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol, from Ponette) in the winter of 1959. Her newly opened chocolatérie is a source of attraction and fear, since Vianne's ability to revive the villagers' passions threatens to disrupt their repressive traditions. The pious mayor (Alfred Molina) sees Vianne as the enemy, and his war against her peaks with the arrival of "river rats" led by Roux (Depp), whose attraction to Vianne is immediate and reciprocal. Splendid subplots involve a battered wife (Lena Olin), a village elder (Judi Dench), and her estranged daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss), and while the film's broader strokes may be regrettable (if not for Molina's rich performance, the mayor would be a caricature), its subtleties are often sublime. Chocolat reminds you of life's simple pleasures and invites you to enjoy them.
Primary cast
- Juliette Binoche : Vianne Rocher
- Alfred Molina : Comte de Reynaud
- Carrie-Anne Moss : Caroline Clairmont
- Judi Dench : Armande Voizin
- Johnny Depp : Roux
- Victoire Thivisol : Anouk
- Hugh O'Conor : Pere Henri
- Lena Olin : Josephine Muscat
- Peter Stormare : Serge Muscat
- Leslie Caron : Madame Audel
Academy Awards nominations
- Best Picture;
- Best Actress (Juliette Binoche);
- Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench);
- Best Original Music (Rachel Portman);
- Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (Robert Nelson Jacobs).
External links
- Benjamin Newman wrote a filk song based on the 2000 movie *(lyrics) (http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/01/bnewman/songs/lyrics/PriestessOfChocolate.txt)
- (MP3) (http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/01/bnewman/songs/music/PriestessOfChocolate.mp3). Warning, the lyrics of this song contain plot spoilers.
- Chocolat (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241303/) at the Internet Movie Databasesv:Chocolat
Categories: 2000 films | Films based on novels | Best Actress Oscar Nominee (film) | Best Picture Oscar Nominee
