Chocolat

Valentine's Day is over, but it's still the month of Love. I hate to settle for only one romantic day of the year. I have to have a whole month. So in celebration of love and romance, I've chosen a few movies to review this month. My husband and I rented Chocolat, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, and found it intriguing.

Enjoy the review below.

The wind blows and drifter Vianne Rocher and her daughter come into a very Catholic town to open a chocolate shop during Lent. With an indomitable spirit, Juliette Binoche as Vianne sets out to win over the townsfolk one by one. Many turn their noses up at her because she’s tempting them to enjoy decadent indulgences during a time of fasting. But over time, she cultivates friendships and changes their lives.

Josephine, a battered wife, is trapped in an unbearable existence until befriended by Vianne. Her wounds heal as Vianne lets her move in and teaches her how to create the chocolate delicacies. Her husband, Serge, comes to claim his wife, but she knows that dressing up a villain in nice clothes doesn’t make him a good guy. He comes back at night drunk and hateful, and breaks into the shop and into the apartment where the women are hiding. Serge attacks both women while spouting ugly accusations and complaints. Josephine strikes him on the head with a skillet and straightens as he crumples into an unconscious heap. Victorious Josephine stands over him and answers, “Who says I’m not good with a skillet?”

I loved that.

When Vianne goes to the river to see the people who’ve just drifted in, she finds Roux, played by Johnny Depp. Because they both are drifters, their friendship develops quickly. Vianne has proven to the townsfolk that she can guess which of her delightful treats will be the favorite of each of her customers, but she has difficulty choosing Roux’s favorite.

The magnificent Judi Dench plays Vianne’s landlady and moves us in her compelling storyline with her grandson.

The movie was well-written and well-acted, creating generous amounts of sympathy for the characters.