Chocolat

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

OK, OK…we know that you probably took one look at the poster for Chocolat and groaned, “Another lame chick flick I’ll be dragged to see.” Well, you’re right and wrong. You’re right that this is a chick flick that you’ll more than likely be dragged to see. You’re wrong in that it’s not really all that lame. Chocolat won’t be competing with Gladiator or Gone in 60 Seconds for shelf space in your video collection, but it’s a nice date movie.

Chocolat is, essentially, a fairy tale about a woman (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter (Victoire Thivisol) who breeze into a repressed, religious French village and proceed to stir up the walking-dead inhabitants with their possibly satanic confections. Along the way, Binoche hooks up with an Irish gypsy played by Johnny Depp (just, well, because). While it may still sound like enough to make you scream for bloodshed, Chocolat is saved by its amazing cast, light humor, and its merciful lack of rom-com cheesiness. Something about the movie is disarming in a quiet way—hell, even the kids aren’t annoying, and that’s saying something. Alfred Molina (as town mayor and head buzzkiller) is perfect, Judi Dench (as a wiseass old lady) has some great lines, and Carrie-Anne Moss (as a stodgy widow) is, well, Carrie-Anne Moss—problem? Nice supporting turns from Lena Olin and Peter Stormare help make Chocolat a charming fable that won’t blow you away, but it also won’t cheese you to death.

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