CHOCOLAT
Juliette Binoche
Johnny Depp
Judi Dench

Based on Joanne Harris' best selling novel of the same name, Chocolat is a light confection of comedy and drama. The story takes place in the French Village of Lansquenet, which has remained almost unchanged in 100 years. Everyone in the town attends church on a Sunday morning, and those who are unhappy with their place in their life do not speak out.

The tranquillity of the town is shattered by the arrival of Vianne (the Oscar-nominated Julliete Binoche), and her young daughter Anouk. Together they open a shop selling all manner of chocolate, the eating of which seem to bring the villagers inner desires to the forefront. While some of the villagers, such as the elderly Armande (Judi Dench, who has also received an Oscar nomination for her role), are taken with Vianne, others, such as the town governor, see her as a threat to their peaceful way of life and set out to close the chocolate shop by any means necessary.

Chocolat is an entrancing film, and beautiful to look at, but seems unsure of its tone. Director Lasse Hallstrom was previously responsible for 'The Cider House Rules' and this film suffers from the same problem of trying to deal with serious issues within what is essentially a whimsical story. As a result serious issues are not dealt with in enough depth to be believable, and laughs do not come as easily as they might. Johnny Depp's appearance late on in the movie also feels like an attempt to graft on a traditional romance to please the audience.

Despite these flaws Chocolat is a movie most people would find hard to dislike, and is a definite recommendation for an enjoyable night out.

8/10
jon farthing