Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9707 in VHS
• Released on: 2003-10-14
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Running time: 121 minutes

Chronique Amazon.fr
Il y a bien longtemps, dans un petit village du cœur de la France; la vie s'écoule paisiblement, et ce depuis des siècles, jusqu'à l'arrivée d'une mystérieuse jeune femme, Vianne Rocher, qui ouvre une chocolaterie. Elle semble posséder le don de deviner les désirs cachés de ses clients et de les assouvir avec ses mystérieuses recettes. Tous sauf un, l'aristocratique comte de Reynaud, qui voit dans ces chocolats une menace pour l'ordre et la moralité… Toujours à l'aise dans les épopées sentimentales hors du temps, Lasse Halström nous emmène cette fois-ci dans l'univers des sens, et plus particulièrement dans celui du goût : les chocolats de Vianne ont des propriétés quasiment surnaturelles, et cette parabole sur l'amour et la tolérance de prendre un aspect plutôt inhabituel et agréablement surprenant, interprété par Juliette Binoche et Johnny Depp, très convaincants. À réserver toutefois aux amateurs de chocolat, dont l'omniprésence sur l'écran en fait littéralement l'acteur principal ! --David Rault

Synopsis
Vianne décide de s'installer avec sa fille Anouk dans un petit village français et d'y ouvrir une confiserie. Elle y propose d'irrésistibles friandises. Ces délicieuses sucreries ne se contentent pas d'enchanter les papilles, elles soignent les espoirs perdus et réveillent des sentiments inattendus dans les cœurs. Tout ceci n'est pas du goût du Comte De Reynaud, convaincu que le merveilleux chocolats de Vianne menacent l'ordre, la moralité et vont semer la révolution en ville…

Customer Reviews

Great picture and audio quality
Significant upgrade over the regular dvd, eye popping details and very good sound. Very good buy.

Brilliant movie - Blue Ray soft
Bought Chocolat in Blu Ray, though felt slightly dissapointed with the soft 'focus' result, then I remebered, that's how I saw it in the Cinema!! Great film, should be in every serious film devotee's collection.

Seduction one delicious morsel at a time ...
Look what the North wind blew into a small town in France ... a young mother named Vianne and her daughter, Anouk. Vianne rents a shop which opens to the town square where she opens an unique Chocolate shop. The only problem is ... it is Lent. The town is mostly Catholic, they are celebrating Lent by abstaining from certain pleasures, one of which is likely chocolate. Depriving oneself or abstaining from something one loves is a custom or tradition during Lent. Vianne is an outsider, she and her daughter are trying to fit in and be accepted. In a small French town which has a long history with many old traditions and customs, this is a difficult endeavor. This delightful film shows how prejudice and stubborn beliefs can be overcome ... with humor and chocolate. Serious moments arise when vindictiveness and cruelty challenge the main characters spirit and nature, yet in the end understanding and kindness prevail.

The eccentric characters in the film are delightful and funny ... The mayor acts "holier-than-thou" except his secretary Caroline knows the truth ... There may be marriage problems between the mayor and his wife. The wife had gone on an extended vacation to Italy, with no definite date to return. Caroline seems an up-tight and very controlling personality related to her son and her mother who is elderly.Then the viewer discovers, the mother is diabetic and does not monitor her food intake properly which makes her health deteriorate. The mayor learns Vianne is a single mother of which he disapproves. He provides gossip about her to the towns people, influencing them to avoid her shop. However, the mouth-watering treats are a temptation several citizens can not resist. One such person is an elderly gentleman and his dog as they walk by the shop daily. It is the dog that is drawn to the treats . The elderly man wants to court a widow ... Vianne gives him pointers on how to win over his lady love ...

Some gypsies enter the scene as they arrive in house boats and dock on the Thames. From this point forward, the story gets more complicated ... Vianne gets involved romantically with the leader of the gypsies. Vianne provides a home and shelter to an abused wife of a bar owner. The husband of this wife goes to classes to learn how to improve his behavior, he appears contrite and "reformed" but in the end, as they say "a leopard does not lose his spots" and he nearly ruins the lives of many people, nearly killing many by an act of cruelty. The conclusion of the film ties together the serious and humorous aspects of the story in a most creative manner. This film is amusing, charming, and delightful. It has a very satisfying ending. The whole film is a great viewing experience. Erika Borsos (pepper flower)