Chocolat (2000)

US Release Date: 15th December 2000
Details: 121 mins, Romance/Drama/Comedy
Starring: Johnny Depp, Alfred Molina, Peter Stormare, Judi Dench, Juliette Binoche
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom

Driven by fate, Vianne Rocher drifts into a tranquil French village with her 6-year-old daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) in the winter of 1959. Her newly opened chocolate shop across from the church, Chocolatérie, is a source of attraction and fear, since Vianne's ability to revive the villagers' passions threatens to disrupt their traditions. The pious mayor (Alfred Molina) sees Vianne as the enemy, and his war against her peaks with the arrival of gypsy "river rats" led by Roux (Johnny Depp), whose attraction to Vianne is immediate and reciprocal. Subplots involve a battered wife (Lena Olin), a village elder (Judi Dench), and her estranged daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss). In the end, Chocolatérie transforms the conservative and religious locals into open-minded, fun-loving people.

Rating: 3.5/5

A very nice, inspirational movie which set me into thoughts. Hmm... I seldom watch this kind of movie 'cos it won't catch my attention. But this caught mine. Some quotes from the movie to share:

"We can’t go round, measuring our goodness by what we don’t do, by what we deny ourselves, what we resist and who we exclude. We got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create and who we include."

"A freedom from the old tranquilité"

"If you saw something you weren't suppose to see, you learn to look the other way. If by chance your hopes have been disappointed, you learn never to ask for more." This is actually something wrong to follow.