Joanne Harris wrote a great work, which breathes comfort, the book smells like hot chocolate. I couldn’t watch the movie until the middle. I should have given him a chance, but it's too hard to turn a blind eye to differences. Or, perhaps, it is not even in them, but in the fact that the film did not hit the tone at all and simply destroyed the entire atmosphere.
Vienne Roche is a charming, intelligent and calm woman like Mary Poppins. She is a breath of fresh air in this city, talking to her heals the soul, her presence makes the city a better place. Roma origin gives rise to internal conflict ("my mother would not approve of everything I do now") and external (the hatred of the Church (!) to the Roma). Hence the fear for the beloved daughter, partly transmitted from the mother.
So where did the priest go, literally personifying this fear? "Black Man"? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Well, okay. And he was not even revealed as a count! And this was one of the most written characters in the book, his thoughts were devoted so much time in the book. . .
Ru, Armand are just spoiled characters.
If you haven’t read the book, watch the movie, you might like it. If you liked it, I would not recommend it.
P. S.: After writing the review, I decided to read others. I am not surprised that my opinion coincided, sometimes verbatim, with many negative reviews. And it is not surprising that out of the thirty positive ones I have read, only one person has read the book.
And seriously, it doesn't really matter, but why is Pantoufl a kangaroo?
What are these patterns for you? Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. And yes, there are no stupid answers. The movie immediately pleases every viewer, showing that you can breathe out and be yourself without a share of pretense and bias.
The healing beauty of Juliette Binoche in charming scenery. Watch and enjoy the excellent taste of the team creators.
By chance, in a small town, I met a chocolatier who offered pepper candy. My best idea of chocolate was at the level of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He laughed and said that the film never hurt him, but Chocolate really inspired him. And without thinking twice, I explored his source of inspiration.
A lifeline film about the appearance of a flawless heroine in an impeccable town. I think it’s a lot about freedom as no limits. That you can not listen to your mother, do not tolerate husbands and be happy to be a non-standard grandmother.
Because of this partly Burtonian narrative, the film looks like a hopeful tale, where there are no bad and good, there are lost unhappy and confident happy. How sweet! All these filigree created sweets, amazing packaging, shining characters from the inside. It is impossible not to believe in chocolate! And the aftertaste of the movie is really chocolate. Watch without a doctor's prescription in moments of hopelessness.
This is a very tasty, cozy, thin, light, hedonistic film, telling us the story of Vienne and her little daughter Anouk. In a way, Vienne is similar to Mary Poppins, for whom the wind was also a means of transportation. But it's a story for adults - about love, about transformation, about courage and about your path. And the main character of this film was none other than His Majesty Chocolate - a tempter and provocateur, bringing people together, opening their hearts and giving them the opportunity to celebrate life.
What is this movie about?
About birth scenarios.
On the balance of tradition and individuality, order and chaos, conservatism and revolutionary transformations, freedom and austerity, duty and pleasure, fasting and carnival.
About men and women, about love and fear of intimacy.
On the ability to withstand the conflict between your choice and what society dictates.
One of the key themes of the film is generic scripts and traditions. We observe the story of Vienne, who lives according to the precepts of the family script, handed down to her from her mother. This scenario pushes her to follow the wind. And the wind here is a beautiful metaphor. On the one hand, it is unlimited freedom. But, on the other hand, it is an image of a rolling-field, without a stake and a yard, forever moved by unknown forces unknown where, it is not clear why and for what. For Vienne, her nomadic way of life is the "norm," she follows the wind, honoring motherly covenants and ashes. She lives by the laws of non-attachment, avoiding intimacy and promises.
And this freedom gives her strength and the right not to depend on the opinions of others, to go their own way, to preach their values and ideals. But the question is, how much are they really her and how comfortable she is with it?
The landmark was the appearance of Ru. He became a force for her to listen to, because he was from the same tribe of free travelers as she was. He became the first male figure to share her values and worldview. Masculine energy, masculine power, is something that was not there before in Vienne's life. With his appearance in her life, a balance appeared, and a support appeared.
Masculine energy gives the female support and boundaries. Female energy is fluid, smooth, filling the space that the Man gives her. Masculine energy is the shore for the creative power of Woman. Vienne was a sorceress, the Spring Woman, able to breathe Life into what had frozen. She became a kind of chocolate therapist. She brought joy and pleasure to people in pure form. It gave people the opportunity and ability to become alive, feel and celebrate life. But after that, she went on, continuing to spread her life-giving chocolate fragrance to more and more places and hearts of people.
It should be noted that for the Mayans, and the homeland of cocoa is considered to be Central America, cocoa was a sacred ritual drink, and its purpose was to open the heart.
So Roux brought the missing element, male energy, into Vienne’s life and helped her hear herself and her needs. She was very good at coping, fighting, rescuing and revealing others, but she was absolutely not able to appropriate and accept all this in her address. She was very good at giving, but she couldn't take it at all. She was a rescuer for others, unable to save herself. Roo became the one who became the rescuer for the rescuer.
Her habit of giving but not taking was associated with a fear of intimacy, which she perceived as dependency and attachment. And this in turn contradicted her life concept - to move according to the dictates of the wind, read external forces. It was as if she had no right to control herself. But in the life span we see in the film, something went wrong. Something went different.
In general, there is a version that all the inhabitants of the town are subpersonalities of Vienne herself. Ru is her male part, her Animus, Armanda is her mother, the count is her father's figure, Anuk is her inner child, Josephine is her anxious, slightly crazy part. An elderly woman who was waiting for her lover, who, as it turned out, died not even in the 2nd, but in the 1st world war, is a metaphor for completely irrelevant expectations and scenarios. The grandfather, who by virtue of the fact that this elderly woman let go of her skeletons and made room, was able to overcome his fear and approach her - a metaphor for overcoming the fear of intimacy and relationships. etc. etc. etc.
Another interesting image of a young priest who became dependent on the mayor of the city. This is a metaphor for how social structures dominate ideology. And Father Henri as a representative of the clergy is a metaphor for the Soul. And when the city came to life, the soul came to life.
And then there was Pantoufl, an Anouk kangaroo toy. He was the only member of the family whose needs were taken into account, so Anouk could speak about herself through him. Pantoufl is its imaginary world, its security territory, the prototype of the absent father creating this security territory.
It's a very interesting metaphor for doors. An open door is a symbol of the absence of the right to privacy, personal territory, security, privacy. It's also a way to shut down the wind. Vienne's life was ruled by a draft: what inflated - there and went. The door is Vienne’s right to decide for herself how to live, who to let into her life, and when and where to go. So the essence of this film is in this metaphor — the Man came and fixed the Door. And thanks to the presence of such “doors”, we have the right to decide whether to follow the generic scenario or not, and if so, to what extent.
So this is the story of Vienne’s transformation and liberation from birth stories that happened in this wonderful deep and delicious film.
In addition to the story of Vienne’s transformation, this film teaches us to enjoy life, to be in the moment, to notice reality and to taste Life itself through the metaphor of Chocolate.
Traditions, rituals, rules, values, reasonable asceticism – all this is absolutely important. Without them, a person turns into the wind, loses support and stability. But in this film, we are clearly shown that you will not be fed with traditions alone, that if you give them freedom and follow only them, then the space becomes gray and lifeless. Along with tradition and conservative values, people need "air" - pleasure, celebration, freedom of choice. Wienne became a messenger of pleasure for them, opening their souls and melting their hearts. Ru is a festive herald who stirred up feelings of joy, lightness and uplift long forgotten by the inhabitants of this city. Together, Vienne and Roux breathed Life into this city and filled it with Love. It is a story about the balance of Order and Chaos, where Order is rules and structure – tradition and law, and Chaos is Life – feelings, movement, freedom.
Usually, if the description of the film is “melodrama”, then I watch it only because... well, I have to watch something with my wife?
But this movie looks easy. And despite the simple such a life story - contains an idea that unites all the characters.
I don’t know if this is the author’s idea or if I took it that way. But all the heroes, without exception, have a life situation that requires change. And continue to pull, of course, but what a life.
Someone is tired of wandering and continues to do so, although he feels that it is time to settle somewhere.
Someone lives in the past and does not notice that it has already moved away from the current moment for years or decades, and it is time to let go of it and start writing a new page of your life.
Someone is afraid to end a dead relationship and tolerates it only because of some prejudice or because it is so accepted in this society.
In this small town, every resident, and the whole frozen and dusty order of life as a whole, on the one hand, craves change. And on the other hand, he desperately clings to not changing anything, resists the new to the last.
Everything is like life.
That’s what the movie is about for me personally. I don’t know who I am, but I find myself in a similar situation on a regular basis.
Only in life it is not always easy to resolve, and in the film all the characters seem to help each other this deadlock for everyone and each individual situation to safely overcome.
Minus one point only for the improbability of some moments. For example, it is hard to believe that in such a town at that time were so well established supply channels to quickly deploy a specialized store with such an assortment and quickly replenish it. And some of the other scenes don't look very believable.
And in general, the impression is a good melodrama with good humor, which you can not only look at the weekend with your soul mate, but also reflect on your life and changes that may be long begging in it.
Who wouldn't like sweets? This is the question that the characters in the film “Chocolate” ask. The plot takes place in a small French town, where a mysterious woman in red shoes arrives and opens a chocolate bar. She always follows the North Wind and doesn't live a settled life. But something can change both the city and her.
First of all, this film attracts, of course, the cast. A stunningly accurate hit to the characters of each character. Juliette Binoche, as chocolate girl Vienne, Johnny Depp, who plays the role of a river gypsy and Alfred Molina, who appeared as a puritan count, the magnificent Judy Dench, who played in the film Armanda.
The film touches on several important topics: the relationship between parents and children, how much people depend on public opinion, and, of course, the topic of love. All these themes are explained through an interesting and fluid narrative that reveals characters and situations like a chocolate candy is unfolding.
In general, the film turned out surprisingly pleasant and even spicy. It’s always interesting to watch people’s lives appear on screen beautifully, with dancing, music and funny situations. And most importantly, the characters will understand something for themselves, and therefore the viewer will understand.
8 out of 10
And only the stubborn north wind, all rushed somewhere in the distance, not finding rest, and called, called to new cities, to new achievements.
Here, as promised, I watched the film "Chocolate" today, and I hasten to share my impressions. The world is ruled by three whales: Love, Kindness and Chocolate. Or maybe in a different order. Chocolate may be second only to Love, or it may even be on the same level as Love. Most people in the world love chocolate. Oh, this is a miracle of miracles, a very gentle, kind, touching film. Just spilled to my liking sweet, viscous with a taste of light bitterness, a feeling. Chocolate is divine. The tastiest thing in the world, even for a sweet tooth like me who will never give up something sweet, chocolate is always a priority. This taste is not comparable to anything. He really awakens all the secret desires and reveals all the faculties hidden in man. How could I not have seen this wonderful movie before? I can't answer that myself.
"Chocolate" - American-British melodrama from the director Lasse Halstrom, according to the plot of the novel of the same name by the English writer Joanne Harris (although for me everything in this film was like in French cinema, and I watched it as French, shot in France, even the actress in the lead role, and French chocolate is not inferior to Swiss, the best chocolate in the world and its taste is unforgettable). It’s not like what we call chocolate. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 2001 in five categories.
This film takes place slowly, telling the story of a woman who came with her daughter to a small town in France, and the story of its citizens living a very righteous life, due to its traditions. No changes are needed by its residents, any changes are too expensive. But change comes by itself, whether people want it or not. How difficult it is to be different from everyone else, and yet have patience and prudence not to respond with audacity to impudence, vulgarity. How hard it is to be human, to smile when you are hurt, and to help people without expecting anything in return. All of us, in one way or another, depend on our environment, on accepted rules in society and on traditions, as the film tells. Even the main character of Chocolate, who looks free from public prejudice, also follows some traditions that force her to move from city to city.
The good thing about a film is that it can be seen as a fairy tale, as a love story, as a philosophical parable. Stories of different families, different human values, manners of behavior - here everything is gathered together and presented easily, without moralizing. Even the theme of death in the film sounds like victory over suffering.
For me, the main idea of the film was the theme of changes that come exactly when we are ready for them (perhaps without even realizing it). Probably, there are few people in the world who are indifferent to chocolate. We love it for its tender sweetness, for being able to improve mood, relieve mental pain, fill the void and even relieve depression. Chocolate can change your life. At least that's what happens in the movie Chocolate, which I'm very fond of now. This simple, kind, warm, a little naive and incredibly soulful movie is easily perceived and invariably charges with optimism, delights and gives exceptionally positive emotions. You need to watch it during difficult periods of life. It will certainly help!
A quiet, sleepy French town is stuck in time. But one day, along with the north wind bursts His Majesty Chocolate. A fairy tale? Maybe. But she's so sweet, so kind, I want to believe in her. The owner of the chocolate shop Vienne unlike many residents of the town is a very good-natured and friendly person. But this sweet woman has her own secret, for no reason can she break off and move to another city, calling her some unknown force flying along with the north wind. She is the mistress of her own destiny and public opinion does not bother her much. She does what she feels. Her small, wonderful shop is a unique place. He changes the fate of people, awakens a long-gone passion between spouses, helps to meet loving relatives who were previously forbidden, gives shelter to people who lost themselves in this life. A simple story, and it is impossible to come off.
The film is excellent. He looks easy, he captivates, he gives hope, he convinces you to look ahead and not be afraid of anything, his magical music warms your soul, and the amazing cast admires. Juliet Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judy Dench, Alfred Molina, Kerry-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare are great, their performance is beyond praise.
So pour coffee or cocoa, preferably hot chocolate, take chocolate in any form, or tasty chocolate and watch this beautiful movie. And enjoy what is happening on the screen, enjoy how this chocolate miracle is born in skilled hands, enjoy how smiles appear on people’s faces after they have tried this magic, enjoy your cup of hot chocolate or just a bar of chocolate and let all your hidden desires come true.
A pleasant film, kind, teaching many human blessings. It's worth seeing. All lovers of romantic films will like. I know.
Chocolate reveals true desires, heals the soul and predicts fate. Eat a piece of chocolate and understand your true purpose, be unique, live the way you want. This film envelops and soothes, like a foam bath taken before bedtime.
The narrative begins as a fairy tale told to us as a child, a little mysterious and disturbing, but take your time to draw conclusions and talk about banality. Chocolate is a peculiar 'magical realism' where you can find an incredible transformation of people flavored with a pinch of tragedy and loss. Here there is a constant struggle: between the powerful mayor and the freedom-loving Vienne, strict prohibitions and secret desires, established order and self-expression.
The action takes place during Lent, the residents of the town regularly visit the church, where sermons are held dedicated to resisting temptations. All this is closely watched by the mayor, who, due to distrust of the new priest, undertakes to write sermons on his own. In this austere atmosphere, along with the “northern wind of change” & # 39; in a measured and dull life, Vienne and Anouk burst, and after that, life here will not be the same. They wander around different cities unable to find shelter there and settle down, they are too different from the citizens, they are different. Not only do they not attend church, but they also have the courage to open a chocolate shop in the midst of this sacred period. It is logical that the inhabitants at first treat them with fear and distrust, consider Vienne a witch and pagan. But those who have managed to taste this delicious delicacy change before their eyes; maybe they have always been like this? They simply did not allow themselves excesses, or blindly followed the instructions of more authoritative people. In any case, there will always be people who will painfully perceive changes and drive them out of their lives, and the count is one of those. He is quite religious, regards all indulgences and pleasures as sin and weakness, he is in constant struggle with his beliefs and true desires, which are hidden so deeply that no one can contribute to their manifestation. Apparently, the countess, realizing this, hastened to leave him.
How many times do I find that strict prohibitions have never been good, that living in permanent restraints is just a meaningless existence. Vienne understands this perfectly, and wants to wake up the others by offering a mug of fragrant hot chocolate. She sacrifices herself for the sake of helping others, helps to allow changes in life, to remind about the main thing, but throughout the film, you wait for help yourself. There is a certain contradiction here for me personally, because everything she teaches others isn’t always there, she doesn’t look happy enough, despite the abundance of chocolate in her life. Therefore, the result of the struggle Vienne with herself remains unclear, no matter how hard the creators tried to wrap everything in an attractive chocolate wrapper.
In general, omitting some points, Juliette Binoche was perfect for this role, so light and gentle, and at the same time independent and strong in spirit. Although this role is not as difficult as her winner of the award ' Oscar' in the film ' English Patient & #39; she fits the actress perfectly and brings her another nomination. Depp, of course, is great, he makes alive any shot where he appears. The melody he plays on the guitar makes me close my eyes and enjoy the moment.
In general, I don’t really like such sweet fairy tale movies with happy endings, but there seems to be something more to Chocolate that left a pleasant chocolate aftertaste after watching. Pretty cute, but not a favorite film that you want to review, in periods of sadness and despondency. It's a fairy tale that's quite predictable, but you're still interested in watching the events unfold, as if your mother were telling you a fairy tale for the hundredth time. And it, like a bar of fragrant chocolate, will briefly take you to a fairy-tale land of hopes and dreams.
I am glad, in part, that I have overcome my addiction to chocolate, and it was painless to watch scenes where it is poured over the river and remains on my lips as a reminder of fleeting pleasure, but if you are not indifferent to chocolate, then be ready to eat several tiles at once during and after watching. Here the main thing is to remember the measure and not rush to extremes.
And this for your husband is chocolate and coconut from Guatemala. There will be passion.
- You clearly haven't seen my husband.
- You certainly haven't tried it.
Plot. One winter day in a quiet French town appears Vienne (Juliet Binoche) – a young woman with a girl. A little later, she opens an unusual chocolate store, offering visitors a new experience. Vienne is a very charming woman and can easily guess people’s tastes. And of course, it gradually becomes more and more customers. Not enough! These people are fundamentally changing their lives. Thus, Vienne with its chocolate significantly changes the conservative way of the city. And not everyone likes these changes. The mayor of the city (Alfred Molina) is an advocate of strict rules (and in fact an unbearable prude): everyone should go to church, fast, not wear bright clothes. Whereas Vienne is at odds with all these rules. The mayor has supporters and is effectively declaring war on Vienna. And when the gypsies arrive in the city for a temporary stay with Ru (Johnny Depp) at the head, he realizes that the time for half-measures is over and changes are coming. They will surely be in every life.
The movie. That’s what people didn’t see in this movie. It’s fun to read the reviews and reactions of the audience to this film. And so, look at what kind of business manual, and they say the movie calls for radicalism, and here's another movie that celebrates an ode to feminism (because the main role is a single successful woman, and all the men in the film are rude, losers or just nunnies), and not a movie, but a continuous protracted advertising of chocolate, and the film educates atheists and so on and so forth. And, strangely enough, I must say that each of them in their own way is a little right. But the strange thing is that this film caused some controversy and resonance. Strange because it's just a good melodrama. Without any reservations or secret meanings, I believe. In French, easy, positive, but at the same time with a bit of drama and morality. I'd even say it's a fairy tale. Like the recent "Illusionist." And from that point of view, I think this film is much more correct. And then there are no different double meanings and third-party thoughts about feminism and so on. Because that's not the story. This is a story about human nature, about purposefulness and inflexibility, about prudishness, about the fact that you do not need to give in to the herd instinct and be like everyone else, about the fact that you need to be able to stop and look at life from the other side, and perhaps not give a damn about everything and allow yourself a little pleasure and liberties. This is what I personally saw in this film. And there, of course, everyone finds what they are looking for in this film.
The cast is great. I especially liked the three. First, Juliette Binoche as Vienne. Very interesting part. On the one hand, a beautiful, charming, friendly and sweet woman, on the other hand, a real person who does not buckle under the pressure of authorities and invented rules and traditions. The image turned out to be both feminine and energetic, confident. And all this Binoche played very well and accurately. The second role is Alfred Molina, count, mayor of the town. Also a very interesting character. Like a moralist and ardent adherent of tradition, and even at some point it seems that he will go to very radical measures to achieve goals. But in the end it turns out that not everything is so clear, and the person he is unhappy in his own way. Very interesting, too. I like it when there is no exclusively white and black, extremes, this bad, this good. At first, he seems like an ordinary villain. But after certain events, you change your mind. The third role – Judy Dench – grumpy old woman who is always dissatisfied with something and even rude. But once Vienne showed care, compassion and just listen to the story of a man, the old woman also began to change and was not so disgusting. And she, too, can be sympathized and understood. But Johnny Depp in this film just did not please. He was too bland here. It's still nice to see, but in terms of role, it's nothing special. But I don’t think it’s his fault because he’s a good actor. And, by the way, Depp was put on the cover of the film and in the description, and in fact, he has a supporting role here and the timing is very small. His character adds little to the plot and appears in the final third of the film. Just wanted to please housewives with Deppchik and the romantic line obligatory for housewives. Also pleasantly surprised Carrie-Anne Moss - the same Trinity from "The Matrix". I’ve seen her in other movies, but she’s not memorable or impressive and I thought she’d be a hostage to the success of one role. And here she has an episodic role, but played decent and looked good.
Summary: A good positive tale for adults from a director with good taste and a sense of proportion. Good morals and a great acting ensemble. I recommend it.
Melodrama, comedy. A screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by British writer Joan Harris. The first time I saw this picture in the thirteenth year, when I was just starting to get involved in cinema, and I started by watching films with Johnny Depp, and this one was one of the first - and then it struck me. After that, I bought a blu-ray disc with the reissue of this picture from the office ' Carmen - video', with improved image and sound, revised again. And then again and again. And this opinion was a wonderful reason to reconsider this masterpiece. And believe me, it's worth it. And here's my brief opinion - simple human joys. And although I do not feel nostalgia for this picture, but I am not going to mention the minuses at all, since they are simply not here, in my opinion. Oh, about the book - I haven't read it and I'm not going to do it, so I'm going to consider the picture as a separate work, because there are differences from the book, and very significant. Therefore, I will focus exclusively on the merits.
So here they are:
1. The atmosphere is a provincial French town of the second half of the twentieth century, into which a dashing wind bursts, promising change. Genre ' comedy' here is not without reason, because in the whole picture there is a slight playfulness of all the events described. She immediately sets the viewer in the right way, and does not let go until the final. It may be a bit naive, but I definitely liked it.
2. Mocking conservatism – the picture playfully, and sometimes harshly ridicules this concept. Don't get me wrong, I'm a conservative myself, but not in all things, and here we talk about an ossified conservatism that rejects everything new. And I can't blame the people of the town for that - I was the same up to a point until I met people who told me what I was wrong. Just like this. Ossified conservatism is harmful. Everything changes, life does not stand still.
3. The touching story is the story of a chocolate girl Vienne and her daughter, who arrives in a small town where she encounters hostility, misunderstanding, but who manages with the help of her craft to make people believe in themselves and see life and break through their hostility. The picture will obviously appeal to those ... who? Yes, to everyone who watches a movie not only for entertainment, but also likes to think about what is happening on the screen, and after watching go to your loved one and say in his ear & #39; How good that I have you & #39; Well, the love line is certainly present, and very good.
4. Chocolate is the center of the picture, everything revolves around it. I confess to you that I am a great lover of it, and sometimes I do not deny myself the pleasure of eating another tile. In the very picture of what kind of chocolate in what only bizarre forms we will not see. In general, after watching this picture, you will certainly want to eat something chocolate.
5. In addition to maintaining a playful atmosphere, music also contains several well-known compositions that music lovers recognize from the first note. I especially remember the guitar.
6. Johnny Depp, I know this is going to be a stale veggies, but I'm sorry to put it off for a while. Yes, now Johnny is not so good, but in those years he was just good, because at that time he had not yet starred in his famous role. Here he plays the leader of the gypsies, and he does it well.
A bit about the main characters:
1. Vienne Roche performed by Juliette Binoche is a wandering chocolate girl who, with her craft, was able to change the life of the whole town for the better. Sometimes he behaves brazenly, but from the first frames he causes sympathy. The best role of Juliette that I have seen.
2. Armand Voisin performed by Judy Dench is the owner of the house in which Vienne and her daughter settled. A stately elderly lady, close in spirit to Vienne with her views on life. Great role of Judy! I just don't have words. Bravo!!
3. Roux performed by Johnny Depp is the leader of the gypsies, who broke into the measured life of the town, like Vienne. A good man and a great musician who experiences real discrimination. Not the best role of Johnny, but not the worst!
With a relatively small budget, the picture was able to collect enough at home that all involved in the creation could receive a decent reward for their work. The audience also loved the picture.
As a result, we have a playful comedy mixed with a melodrama about a cute chocolate bar, which broke the inveterate conservatism of small town residents and awakened in them the joy of life.
For the first time, I gave the picture a maximum score. This is a well-deserved reward!
Epigraph: 'The only way to avoid temptation is to succumb to it' (c) O. Wilde, ' Portrait of Dorian Gray'
Epigraph No. 2: "Possession is piety devoid of virtue' (c) Immanuel Kant
The perception of this film, although mostly positive, often depends on how much the viewer shifts the worldview focus towards conservatism or liberalism. I will allow myself to discuss in absentia with antipaths and say the following:
1. The film does not protest against religion and faith, although at first glance it may seem that this is not the case.
2. The film does not protest against morality as such, although at first glance it may seem that this is not the case.
3. The film is not an ode to feminism, does not debunk the idea of marriage and does not protest against family values, although at first glance it may seem that this is not the case.
4. The film does not call for doing anything and living without any taboos, although at first glance it may seem that this is not the case.
So what does the movie do? Let's try to figure it out.
The main character is an atheist, but she does not try ' to make ' atheists of the rest of the inhabitants of the town and debunk their faith. Rather, she lives in accordance with her concepts and beliefs, and these concepts fit into the right, for example, to open a chocolate store on the eve of Lent. After all, a person who sincerely believes in the need for self-restraint during this religious practice will be able to resist any temptation.
But it is much easier to fight with the latter when it does not exist. When all the inhabitants of the city hold fast together and collectively protect each other from temptation, it allows them to formally observe religious rules and feel like the right people. But the essence of fasting is individual self-restraint, which is valuable only when it comes from the desire of a person, and not imposed from outside. And if such a small thing as a chocolate shop can make these pious people turn off the true path, then the price of such virtue is penniless. Hence the first postulate - 'Virtue must come from within, not from without'.
The concepts of religion and morality in the shown time are inextricably linked, but it is interesting that the main moral authority in the film is not a young priest who would be happy to reconsider the dogmas himself, but the mayor of the city, a man quite secular, with respect and power. It is clear that church dogmas as such are often quite far from the commandments of Christ, but the intervention of a secular person in maintaining the moral image of the city suggests that the fear of God has given way to the fear of the opinion of one person as an expressor of the collective opinion, and to the possible ostracism due to the violation of unspoken social rules. Hardly anyone has the right to take on such functions, especially since such people often have skeletons in the closet, incompatible with the image of themselves that they are trying to demonstrate to others. Hence the second postulate - ' Do not blindly listen to saints, morality must be meaningful' .
Also, the film perfectly demonstrates that people are complex creatures, and they can not be judged by one external, dogmatically defined, trait. So, the output may turn out that one atheistically minded single mother is more useful for society, including in the moral aspect, than from ' decent' a citizen who attends church, and at the same time beats his wife. Hence the third postulate - 'Do not judge people stereotypically'.
Despite the fact that the film raises the topic of domestic violence, and a significant number of male characters look, to put it mildly, unpresentable, the film rather implements not the idea of rejection, but the idea of free choice in opposition to the idea of so-called “sanctity” of marriage. Here at the same time about Josephine, who is offended by a man, and about Madame Adele, who has been a widow for 40 years and still bears mourning, and about the Count de Reno and his Prodigal & #39; wife, and about Vienne herself, who gave birth to a child without being married. Marriage is not a constant, as if they want to tell us. Life changes and you have the right to change it. To walk away from a tyrant, no matter how holy & #39; whatever your ties, fall in love again, even if you were told that a man should be alone for life, reconcile with the idea of divorce, and so on.
But in parallel, we show other stories about ' family values' about parents and children, grandmother and grandson, wife and husband who revived their passion, and even the main character still finds her happiness. Hence the fourth postulate - 'Family values must bring joy and happiness, otherwise why do they need?'
And finally, chocolate as a symbol of freedom from prohibitions. According to the plot, it is obvious that, having succumbed to temptation, people did not become completely free from moral principles and did not begin to do anything for their own amusement. They just became more free and less dependent on conventions, and this is the last postulate - ' Have your head on your shoulders, distinguish the necessary taboos from the outdated and harmful.
Of the minuses: the line of the hero Johnny Depp. Not that it's bad, it's just that this hero is too idealized and amorphous. And in general, the female audience wants to ' About Lyuboff'. But at the same time, they seem to forget that, firstly, Vienne does not become a moral guide, it only demonstrates the possible options for the residents of the city. They also forget about the maxim ' shoemaker without boots' which is largely characteristic of many people influencing someone else's life, and that an individual can banally not want ' family happiness' and family responsibilities. With their desire ' to pull on the globe' they partially cross out the love line ' feature ' heroines.
Summary: the main idea of the film will be the words spoken at the sermon by the priest, which he almost for the first time in his life will utter from the heart, not under someone else's dictation, rethinking for himself what is written in the holy books:
39 I think it is impossible to live in the world by measuring virtue by what we have not done, by what we have denied ourselves, by what we have resisted and by whom we have rejected. I think virtue measures what we have created, brought to life, and warmed.39
You can't say better.
10 out of 10
I had the film Chocolate on one disc, which was a collection of works by Johnny Depp, and after watching it, my fanaticism for it only increased. I wanted to remember his best roles. In his filmography, there is another role in the Chocolate & #39 film, but more on that later. So who likes chocolate here?
1960s. The tranquility of a quiet French town with strict orders disrupts the arrival of a young woman, Vienne Rocher, with her daughter Anouk. Vienne goes further and opens a pastry shop on the eve of Lent. Citizens, instigated by the authoritative mayor of the city - Count de Reynaud, are suspicious and wary of an unfamiliar woman and bypass her institution. But gradually Vienne manages to make friends with some citizens and in her pastry shop there are regular customers. And when a gypsy camp is forced to stop in the town, Vienne meets their charming leader Ru and seems to find his happiness. . .
I remember the first time I saw the film, it seemed gloomy, even sad. But then gradually I found in him that extraordinary charm that no doubt attracts all his fans. Speaking of drama, I was able to understand and feel it later as I grew up. Everything is shown so plausibly, and therefore sad, because there are situations when people use their authority and influence to expel from their world those who do not fit into it. . .
The film has such a name for good reason - chocolate can even be called a kind of hero of the plot. He has his own backstory of a romantic trip to America, as well as the legend of following the north wind and a kind of pilgrimage, the purpose of which is to spread ancient recipes of chocolate. They showed us the process of cooking an exquisite delicacy - in general, you can not watch a movie on an empty stomach! Chocolate also plays a big role in relation to people - for example, it helps to revive the relationship between spouses, help a single man to meet a woman, or awaken long-forgotten memories. Chocolate appears here not just as sweetness, but as something mystical and ancient, whose properties and combinations have not yet been revealed. And after such a movie, it is impossible not to believe it.
I heard about Juliette Binoche at the time, but it was the first film I’ve seen. In a word, she was great! Bright, with a charming smile, with the gift of guessing what her visitors love, she brings a sharp contrast to the dull town in which everyone fasts zealously and is afraid to object to the mayor. Vienne Rocher with his head held high resists these strict orders, makes friends, takes care of his daughter Anouk (Victoria Tivisol) and cooks chocolate so much that I really want to visit her institution. . .
Vienne is opposed primarily by the mayor, Count de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), who has great authority and influence, and who will not allow his unspoken rules to be violated in the city. That's why he's declaring war on Vienne. And yet the character is very controversial - on the one hand, imperious and insidious, on the other, able to admit his mistakes and correct them in his own way.
The main supporters of Vienne are Josephine (Lena Olin), who left her husband who beat her and begins to work in a pastry store, and Armand Voisin (Judy Dench), a grumpy old woman who opens up with chocolate, becomes Vienne's friend and establishes relations with her grandson, who is overprotected by Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss), who in turn stopped communicating with her mother.
In a small but very colorful role appears Johnny Depp, who played the charismatic and romantic gypsy Roux, the only one whom Vienne can not ' read' or guess his favorite chocolate treat, but they are drawn to each other... He also plays the guitar very well!
Chocolate is a film with a truly magical atmosphere, excellent acting and the indescribable magic of chocolate. I can’t remember a movie that glorifies this sweetness. I really want to eat a piece. . .
Oh, the movie adaptations! Woe to anyone who watches movies based on books they've read, especially incredibly good books like Joanne Harris' Chocolate. Just as Stanley Kubrick mocked Stephen King’s The Shining, so here the director decided to show his vision of such a story, in fact leaving the only important detail from the source – chocolate.
Despite the fact that the film begins mysteriously and dynamically, it can boast neither beautiful landscapes (even the chocolate in the frame looks somewhat mediocre) nor meaningful dialogue. The characters of many characters were suddenly completely rewritten (not to mention the main antagonist!), which reduced interest in the plot. For such timekeeping, an incredibly compressed version of the events in Lanskna was presented on the screen.
Perhaps the main bright moment is the short-term but rather sensual duet of Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp (literally descended from the pages of this book), which gave the film the necessary contrast. Binoche here, more than ever showed her acting talent and emotions, which she sometimes lacks.
For all my love for chocolate, the film of the same name came out quite absurd, not pulling either on a romcom or on an adult fairy tale. Something in between that accidentally got five Oscar nominations. Perhaps because there was no victory that the critics did not satisfy their hunger, expecting from the film with such a sweet name of “hearty” shots.
Today, the film "Chocolate" is more like a television movie than a full-fledged movie. Cinema with beautiful music, sexual hints and a long time will conquer only true connoisseurs of the work of the actors involved in the film, in the rest - the film is not particularly remarkable.
Confessing chocolate is so simple, and most importantly delicious!
I often heard about this film from my friends, and only positive reviews, but still could not watch, and so it happened – I sat down and watched.
Words are difficult to convey the charm and magic of this film, but I still try. Chocolate definitely will occupy its niche in the list of my favorite paintings. A film that has its charm, its atmosphere, its colors, a film is a whole world enclosed in the framework of timekeeping - but still splashes beyond it, enveloping you as a spectator with the smell of hot chocolate with notes of chilli pepper. Unusual combination? An unusual film, but unexpectedly warm, tender and touching.
The story is primarily about people, about how they live and change, about what they believe and follow, what they aspire to and what they fear. I don’t think anyone changed here. Whether Vienne changed the townspeople, or the townspeople - Vienne. No, they just came to certain conclusions right here and now, and it was not something concrete that affected them, but everything that was in their life as a whole.
Vienne always knew that the North Wind would drive her forward, towards new acquaintances, new places, towards the unknown. Sooner or later he will come and call her. But deep down, she dreams of a real home, of settling down somewhere, of giving her daughter constancy, and here — in a small French town — she suddenly finds this feeling. A sense of peace and certainty, a sense that she has finally found her place.
The townspeople, on the contrary, considering these places their own by right, having established certain orders, became so ossified that they no longer imagined life otherwise. However, the uniqueness and freshness of Mademoiselle Rocher causes in them first a simple curiosity, and then the desire to become a little more liberated, a little easier than they were before, so to speak, “to throw away conventions” and just breathe in the full smell of life and the aromas of fun, in which chocolate notes are guessed.
In fact, you can analyze each character in much detail: from the seemingly callous, but insanely life-loving old woman Armanda to the crusty breadcrumb in the image of the mayor, who eventually realizes that it seems that somewhere was wrong. We can talk about Ru, a man who was also driven forward by something, but not the North Wind, as in the case of Vienne, not the thirst for something new, not the desire to see and learn, to win or conquer, no, it was fear, the desire to run away from people before they began to form an opinion about him. Fear that this opinion will not be quite forest, perhaps.
But frankly, I'd like to say something else, maybe some people won't agree, but the most important thing to mention is Pantouflé. Imaginary little kangaroo Anuk.
He is like an image of life, the personification of the road for Anouk, her only friend on the road that will never end, and which unexpectedly ends, giving the little girl a house and family, because the northern wind flew its way, and the fresh, warm breeze affectionately blew out from the South. A Pantouflage
Stunningly subtle story, really bright and rainbow. And most importantly, with a very tasty ending in the form of hot chocolate.
I think it is impossible to live in the world by measuring virtue by what we have not done, by what we have denied ourselves, by what we have resisted and by whom we have rejected. I think virtue measures what we have created, lived and warmed.
The wonderful words from Father Henri’s sermon literally flow into consciousness, not forcing, but suggesting to feel something different and perhaps even rethink something in your life.
10 out of 10
The desire to see “Chocolate” arose only thanks to Johnny, but when reading the abstract, I realized that the film itself is quite interesting.
The characters clung to every single one. Everyone had something special. You watch them and worry about them. Not a single minute of timekeeping was unnecessary. Everything looked harmonious, right. Wienne shop, town, nature. Music, dialogue.
I really liked the movie. It has a really warm chocolate atmosphere. But in the course of watching, I still caught myself thinking several times: "Where is my main chocolate bar?" When will they show you?
And when the "chief chocolate" was finally deigned to show off, the world became even better. The film became even more rich, beautiful and valuable. One downside: Johnny wasn't good enough. I wish I had more scenes with him. He would only improve the situation, raise the level even higher. When he appeared on the screen, it was difficult to erase the happy smile from my face. Thank you for Ru, my walking hot chocolate is the most extraordinary and sweet.
As for the other actors and characters, I had never seen Juliette Binoche before Chocolate. I don't think I've even heard her name. Maybe I did. Now unknown.
In my opinion, she is not the ideal of female beauty, but nevertheless, she coped with the role perfectly. She definitely has talent. And on the outside, it was pretty nice. Vienne is alive, real. Patient, purposeful, intelligent and friendly. More people like that in the real world.
Josephine is a separate frame of this story. At first she seemed very strange to me. I really believed the word that she was dubbed, "crazy." There was a scene that made me angry, but not for long. Gradually revealed the truth, the difficult fate of Josephine was as in the palm of his hand. I changed my mind and saw her with different eyes. And I was very glad that in the life of Josephine there was a magician-Vienne. Lena Olin, the actress who played the role, did brilliantly. It was emotional. And besides, she's a pretty attractive woman. In her appearance, in her whole image, there was something... fascinating.
I won’t talk about every character in this big story, although I could talk for a long time. You’ll see it when you sit down to watch Chocolate. Draw your conclusions, in your own way evaluate the actors' play, atmosphere, plot.
This wonderful film is not just about chocolate. But there's plenty of chocolate. Why? Not because the frame flashed beautiful cakes, chocolate figurines, cakes, drinks. It’s a lot because every character in this story is a special kind of chocolate. They are all different but delicious chocolates. The brilliant Lasse Hallström put the plate with the patterns in front of us and simply asked: “What do you see?”
10 out of 10
Joanne Harris’ light but meaningful novel Chocolate did not leave me indifferent. First I read the book, then I watched the movie.
Impressions of reading the book. Here are a few things:
1. Before that, contrasting characters! I will focus on some of them.
Francis Reynaud is a very dark, even depressing person. Insanely annoying, like a priest, and the thoughts are quite unkind.
Vianne Roche is cheerful, empathetic, caring, reserved, just a good mother for Anuk.
Armand is an honest, funny, cunning, intelligent woman. The soul of the company is open to communication.
Josephine is withdrawn, kind, shy at first. Vianne inspires her confidence that life can be changed, and in the end it happens.
Ru is secretive, closed, honest, quick-tempered, but just a hardworking guy.
Paul-Marie is a narrow-minded, hot-tempered, evil egoist.
Guillaume is caring, kind, honest. His attitude towards Charlie is incredible!
Caro Clermont is an arrogant person who keeps the city under her influence, at least the female half of it.
2. The novel carries us along the waves: one chapter is cheerful, easy; the other is gloomy, sad, sometimes cruelty slips. There is no tension throughout the book. You wait and wait for the trick, and it is delayed and delayed.
3. Ending. Very realistic, logical. What I expected, I got, and it’s good! Happy End is not about this piece.
Now let’s compare the film with the book, all in the same respects.
1. Characters.
Vianne was a little disappointed. Some kind of frivolous she was shown, unrestrained. It certainly wasn't in the book. And she wouldn't drag her daughter down the stairs by force, she would blow dust off her. Why this episode was inserted, which was not in the book, is not clear.
Francis Raynaud isn't a clergyman in the movie at all, come on, that's not the point. Killed the ending! Suddenly, he turned from an angry man into a kind, smiling, loving man. It can't be like that.
Ru - in the film appears, in a way, shown. Easy to communicate, with everyone finds contact, carefree, and not red. He should be red, he should be.
Josephine and Paul don't seem so unhappy. As Paul put it, he was so sorry at the end. When I read the book, I only hated him.
Armand, Guillaume and Caro are more or less similar.
2. The film does not hold tension, it looks very easy. If there are any exciting moments, they are few compared to the book. This film did not diminish its appeal. The actors are well selected, the flaw with the hair color Ru has already noted, I will not dwell on this anymore.
The review is about the movie, so at the end I like it! Yeah, yeah, I like it. Not at all what I expected. The role of chocolate was assigned no less significant than that presented in the novel. And the tempting voice in Raynaud's head said, "Try me." Taste it. “Taste it,” he lured me to a piece of chocolate.
9 out of 10
I can recommend a book or a movie. And in what order do you decide?
Stunning, light and at the same time a little sad, but very tasty film. And I didn’t just like it because I’m a big Johnny Depp fan, but it’s also an argument for movies. A subtle, elegant movie with meaning and zest, for a pleasant evening at least for your own pleasure, and if there is someone to watch such a thing with, it is doubly beautiful, because in this film everyone will find something of their own that will make you smile. Or sad. Or do both at the same time. I had such a mixed feeling when Armand saw the surprise she sacrificed her morning sleep for. “Live easily, because life is given once, and it is given for enjoyment in the good sense of the word.” What touched Vienne and Roux when they danced was how emotionally Vienne's daughter was watching her mother. She's happy to see her mom like that!
Shocked and can be said the "transformation" daughter Armanda. When she realised that her son had lost a lot because of some silly prejudice, and now he could feel like a child, as he is, rather than a little adult, squeezed into boxes that he clearly didn't need, that he was just happy. When she realized that she can be happy herself, and that it is not necessary to decide for others, even for very close ones. Sad for Armanda, but she knew that it would be so and chose for the last bright life, and not a dim thing in which could drive any in her place of illness and depression. This is what this amazing movie teaches! Chocolate is only a means, and most importantly, a determination to change something, only in ourselves. Verdict: definitely watch. And of course, Depp is a damn charismatic son of a bitch!
10 out of 10
With Chocolate, I finished reading Joanne Harris’s book like a cake. Well, you know what? And not cool I thought the film after reading the literary, despite the background of enthusiastic reviews before watching.
Perhaps the annoying squint of the author of a 150-page diploma about 7 film adaptations of one Dickens novel ballast prevented you from immerse yourself in film history, perhaps the very literary basis in which I just finished living, I wanted to continue, but... No.
It's not about a book. It's very motivated. There is no main theme of the confrontation, no antagonists, no theme – chocolate, as a means to reach the depths of man and allow these depths to shine, and not smolder and puff somewhere on the bottom, spitting dust cakes into life, communication and relationships.
Perhaps political correctness did not allow to make the churchman an unspoken enemy of the heroine and bearer of all kinds of phobias - from God's wrath to vagabonds on rafts. All the accents in the film are quite different. The stranger that they were placed by the delightful Lasse Hallström, whose films depict masterpieces and the same sensory as the Harris book - What Eats Gilbert Grape, Hachiko, etc.
I didn’t get that story in the movie. I saw everything very crumpled, sharp, non-atmospheric, and at one point I was horrified, afraid that for the sake of drama they would mix the past with the present.
But Johnny 15 years ago with a guitar was able to be in the frame himself - a patched vagabond on a raft, rattling simple motives and charming the female population of towns, countries and continents:
Yes, and the matrix Infiniti as an elegant mother in provincial France in the middle of the last century is incredible!
"Chocolate" turned out to be a cute and naive movie. It's definitely worth seeing. Maybe more than once. I knew about it all these years, but somehow the stars were formed in such a way that I watched “Chocolate” too inattentively.
Again, the story of a beautiful pastry chef and her daughter is fascinating. Despite the specific dates, it is perceived as a fairy tale. It's so strange, so tempting, to suddenly realize that this is almost an unreal story. She has all the "fairytale" signs. Like morality. But she's so naive, kind, Christian. It's a little weird.
The work of the main character is also quite fabulous - she is a chocolate girl. And this is her calling, judging by how she feels about people and determines their "chocolate" preferences. And the story of Vienne’s life, her romantic wanderings and search for herself.
"Chocolate" has a completely magical cast. Maybe this is not the brightest role of Johnny Dep, but the duet with the sophisticated Frenchwoman Juliette Binoche is definitely memorable. It’s a strange couple, but it’s like a fairy tale. Of course, Judy Dench is great.
I can say for sure that I am impressed by this film – bright, original, with a wonderful cast, kindness and a happy ending.
I’ve never been a fan of dramas and melodramas, and it’s not even that I’m a guy, but just made these genres “baby”. Yes, they are not even for girls, but for women who have a life of hell: an unloved husband, terrible children or no one at all. They find solace in such films, where you can cry and envy. The film "Chocolate" stands out from the general mass with its presentation and unusual plot.
Now is the time to move on to the movie.
Top 7 conclusions from the film.
1) The way to the heart of a person lies through his stomach (a little changed the meaning of the saying).
2) There must be a mystery in the movie that you won’t immediately answer. This is the success of chocolate.
(3) Sometimes you have to believe in a miracle, otherwise why live?
(4) Good and instructive films are still relevant.
(5) If you want to know about a person, find out their favorite sweets.
(6) Never give in to the opinions of others, because opinions are wrong.
7) Be strong and independent like Wienne.
Outcome: Such a film is worth watching in the evening in a cozy atmosphere, brewing a cup of hot chocolate or coffee to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the film. If you have time, read the book that was taken as a basis. It will reveal the characters 100%.
What do we expect from a movie when we go to a movie or watch something at home? Someone is waiting for an exciting plot and unexpected turns, someone - impressive effects, someone - the appearance on the screen of their favorite actor, whose character will amaze with truthfulness and multidimensionality, someone wants to see life itself, as it is, someone wants to look at the world through the eyes of the author (director) and see something new for themselves. One expects to see one thing, the other another. You can't please everyone. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that this film did not affect me at all, while someone else sings “Chocolate” of praises and laments that none of the coveted Oscar figurines never got into the piggy bank of the film.
Most of those who did not like this film adaptation, scold her for inconsistencies with the text of the novel. I haven’t read the book, so I’ll look at the film separately, without comparing it to the text.
Well, the movie. As for the plot, yes, it is banal. With the exception of a couple of vivid details, this story is as old as the world. But you can not talk about it as a disadvantage - any plot, even the simplest and most banal, can be filmed very qualitatively. However, there is no spark of art in Chocolate that can ignite the hearts of the audience at a deeper level of perception – on the perception of the mental and sensual, rather than on the visual. And that's a drawback. The film is flat, it has no depth. And by depth it is not necessary to understand some complex secret meaning, which can only be seen by reading between the lines - first of all, by depth I mean the life, inner, spiritual life of the characters. Unfortunately, all the characters of the film are two-dimensional, none of them is alive, none has a soul - they are like cardboard dolls. Whatever they were in the book, the fact that they turned out to be on the screen is the fault of the director and writer.
But enough about that.
As for visual images, the town where the action takes place looks pretty cute. It’s not realistic, but it’s a style of storytelling that definitely has the right to live. In addition, the viewer manages to see natural landscapes that are really very beautiful. This is a plus, but it is not enough.
Now, a few words about actors. The composition is undoubtedly impressive. A lot of actors have been in films of a completely different kind than Chocolate and they have been great. All the more sad to see them in "Chocolate," playing characters so flat and inanimate.
You can talk about this movie, but I don’t see the point.
Bottom line: the movie itself is not bad, you can watch it, but it is not necessary to do it.
6 out of 10
The film immerses the audience in the amazing world of chocolate, in all its taste shades and beauty.
According to the painting, chocolate was a tool that united people, made them kinder and smiler, solved all their problems.
The film is deservedly nominated in so many world film awards.
I liked the lightness of the picture, the style of its narration as some kind of chocolate fairy tale forgotten story, I liked the idea of the film that even a small ray of light is able to illuminate the dark human world with its bright radiance, fill it with joy and colors. I will note the good musical accompaniment of the picture. As the film says, the north wind brought two strangers to this mountainous small town with amazing secrets for establishing relationships between people.
The heroine "Vienne Rocher" performed by Juliette Binoche was the personification of purity, inner radiance and attractiveness.
The mayor of Comte De Reno performed by Alfred Molina was the personification of deep conservatism, moralism, a person who does not accept any new trends, even if they are for the benefit of the city and its inhabitants. He controls everything and everyone, everyone must live by his rules. I call it the personification of the dark side of the human soul, hiding under a bright mask.
"Gypsy" (to use such an exact word) Ru performed by the then little-known Johnny Depp was also the personification of something foreign, alien to this mold-covered town. Just a few years later, this “Gypsy” on the ship “Black Pearl” will conquer the whole world and create a new Walt Disney Universe.
9 out of 10
In the track record of the master of cinema Lasse Hallström, there are undoubtedly extremely remarkable and significant films such as Hachiko, What Eats Gilbert Grape? and so on. But it is “Chocolate” that stands out among them only one of its memorable, better to say, appetizing detail. This movie, literally, is just a test for the stomach and endless pleasure for the eyes. And yes, I remember “Spices and Passions”, but for some reason, at the sight of such colorfully served cocoa products, my stomach was much more reduced than in the film with the unsurpassed Helen Mirren.
Well, it is still necessary to say something else, because this film is not based on only "delicious" shots.
First of all, it is a sentimental work that inspires self-development and humanism in relation to loved ones. “Chocolate” motivates to change, motivates not to succumb to the image of conservative thoughts, try to go forward and not give up, being equally friendly to everyone, that is, this film does not build any boundaries between people, on the contrary, proclaiming each person, first of all, as a person. And that's beautiful.
Some may see not only in the film itself, in the script itself, even a note of disgust for the church, but I believe that this is extremely wrong: the tape itself morally reminds us that faith should be sincere, and virtue should be measured not in one’s own deprivations or rejection of another worldview, but in human actions, in virtue and help. A truly holy deed is a matter that comes from the heart and soul, and not something that is aimed only at curbing someone’s activity, opinion about the world around him or her own behavior. Therefore, in my opinion, this film, on the contrary, presents the church as something that is an integral part of the life of believers, but that must necessarily express only its dogmatic ideas, which have survived for many centuries on the tablets, but for some reason are often forgotten by their own ministers.
I can’t and don’t want to say anything bad about this film, though, yes, and I admit that some moments in it are too exaggerated, logical do not dock, no no, they ask for explanations, and the combination of realistic fantasy with hopeless realism looks occasionally stupid and absurd – but these are details that in the overall picture almost do not pay attention, because the same combination of the real world and some magic is largely done perfectly, why a certain lamp, your own atmosphere of the film is created, in which you naturally believe. On this entourage, by the way, everything works, from the very idea of the story, which was taken from the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris, and ending with the locations of the action, music and heroes - that is, the pitch.
The picturesque landscapes of a small village in France, which is located on the hills of the boundless prairies near the river bank, “stuck” in the minds of the audience, along with the unforgettable melodies of Rachel Portman, popping up in the mind of a cozy memory, in which, personally, for some reason, the picture is necessarily curated by Roger Pratt’s camera plans, which clearly inspired him when creating the imperishable “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. John Seal, even before, by the way, as the epic about the boy wizard came to shoot Pratt himself.
However, the dominant position is occupied, of course, by the characters. Cinema appeals to a beautiful cast of actors, among which such significant names as Juliette Binoche (Vienne), Judy Dench (Armanda), Alfred Molina (Count de Reynaud) - all of them play and create beautiful, memorable images, among which, after all, Johnny Depp (Roux) stands out, who in this film became a pirate even before he became Jack Sparrow, and Lena Olin (Josephine). The heroine Olin at all, in my opinion, reflects the dominant idea of the film, moreover, thanks to the efforts of the actress, showing unequivocal skill here, she does it so charming and inspiring that it seems that in the film simply the creators managed to qualitatively transform the story of "Despicable Duckling" into a slightly different vision - in general, it is from Josephine, which at first was indescribably suspicious, and then became a charming and beautiful woman, I remained indescribable delight.
In fact, I was satisfied with the whole film – it is a “delicious”, memorable, beautiful and morally filled with unambiguous human meanings picture, which I clearly want to return to more than once, despite minor troubles and logical errors that simply, again, are lost against the background of all the work of Lasse Hallström.
P.S. Thank you very much.
It should be passionate like chili pepper, unpredictable like a rice ball or a piece of dried apricot, mysterious like a coveted scent of vanilla, light like caramel filling, bringing sweet notes of bitterness, and perhaps even sinful like cherry in liquor. And only if you mix it all up, you get a movie, a revelation film, a revelation about chocolate!
Indeed, this film was a revelation. He mixed famous actors, beautiful music, a brilliant director and an amazing story book. Watching and reviewing it more than once, you begin to feel the aroma of chocolate, the aura of the 50s of the last century, hear the hum of small streets and see large, glass, beckoning windows-windows of old shops.
It is a small town, where for a long time there is only one rule - "tranquille" (silence and tranquility). But the whole order of the town, violates, blown from the north, light and mischievous wind of change. And now in the town there are two very strange people in bright scarlet cloaks - Vienne and her six-year-old daughter Anouk, come to a small town in the midst of a storm. Locals who did not immediately accept unexpected guests, do not yet know what and how much new, fresh, cheerful and unusual will soon burst into their already boring and ordinary life!
Among all the variety of films, few of them remain in our memory for a long time, even fewer can push us to any action. But this film is one of those masterpieces, which are so few.
Naturally, as soon as you read the title on the posters, you expect to see thousands of chocolates in the film, and candy in a variety of packages of foil. But that's just one hundredth of what you actually see. In this movie, chocolate is another character. And his presentation on the screen delights the eyes of even the most spoiled foodies and critics. Black, glossy, like lacquered tiles, small triangulars that harbor the spiciness of chili peppers, gilded boxes with mysterious dark dragees inside, crumbly chocolate powder on pies and cakes and even thick chocolate sauce for fried chicken. The operator seems to mock these beautiful pictures of people watching their figures and counting every calorie in the eaten.
The music that permeates this film, like a precious golden thread, beckons and carries the mind somewhere beyond. The mysterious, mysterious and alluring melody of the French impressionist Eric Satie during the story about the ancestors of the main characters, the passionate and fiery melody of the romance “Eye Black” during a feast in post. If you compare this music to something in the field of confectionery and chocolate, then I would probably give it the role of liquor in the candy "Cherry in Chocolate". This liquor here may not be the most important ingredient, but without it, these candy are empty!
And finally, actors! The real grenade (just for me, this is the most beautiful gem!) of this film was a sweet and charming Frenchwoman Juliette Binoche. Deep brown eyes, thick dark, with a shade of milk chocolate hair. There is no better actress to play the role of a woman who gives people an enchanting product! The strangest thing is that for this role she did not receive any international awards. But you know, no award can compare to the love of the millions of viewers who saw this film. I look forward to seeing her in another, new movie! The second thing that came out of this movie was Johnny Depp. Of course, this actor is already known to many, but this film would lose a lot if the wandering knight, the pirate, in general, the hero of women’s dreams was played by someone else. Alfred Molina embodied on the screen the image of a despotic aristocrat, the count setting an example of how to live correctly (well, in his opinion) a real miser, a bore and a snob. I admit he did it 100 percent! And, of course, Judy Dench. This actress so deftly reincarnated in many images, but the image of an old woman who lost faith in life and goodness, to the aid of which comes a mischievous chocolate girl, she managed, probably, better than all the others!
I am grateful for this film, which burst into my life like a light northern wind of change. I am grateful for the truths he taught me. I am grateful for the brilliant words I got from this film. Thank you.
Happiness.
Simple as a glass of chocolate.
It's as complicated as the heart.
Bitter. Sweet. Live.
In every adult there is a small sweet tooth. Our passion is especially strong in times of difficulty. If only a small setback appears on the horizon, we become weak and vulnerable. We easily succumb to the temptation, try at first a little bit of a rare unusual delicacy, then a little more and ... here we are on the hook! This is the basis of the case of the feminine, charming and surprisingly persistent heroine Vienne. She is an independent, hardworking, bright woman, and a talented psychologist lives in her - she is not just able to open her shop, create purity, beauty and tastiness with her own hands, she wants to pay attention to each of her visitors, understand the versatility of a person and help solve problems. She has her own little female tricks - she likes to guess sweet desires, choosing a special delicacy to taste. Vienne knows all the unusual recipes of her sweets, she is a master cook. All this makes it easy – sincerely and from the heart. I believe that such a small fairy lives in every woman, revealing in varying degrees depending on the environment. Men in this case can only choose whether to succumb to our charms or not. Of course, it is better to give in, because if you want to resist, we will surely use our most refined methods and the more desirable our dexterous victory will be. This is what happened to one of the heroes.
Vienne favorably differs from most residents of the town, is not afraid to stand out among their gray mass. The originality of her activities, views and beliefs in her business only plays into her hands, but one day it happens that her opinion will be opposed to the opinion of others. In the case when the town declares the nomadic people outlawed, Vienne unexpectedly meets a kindred spirit among them and, despite the general condemnation, approaches him. He is free, like the wind, perhaps she sees in him some features of herself. It is interesting to read the moments of their experiences in the book of the same name!
What is our brave rebel running from? Moving from city to city, packing suitcases with enviable regularity, and changing the circle of acquaintances, naming insufficiently valid reasons for a young daughter, I think Vienne runs away from herself, deftly avoiding too close to people. Of course, everything in this picture is not so cloudless, and here it was not without negative characters, without their atrocities, attempts to return the life of the town to its former pious course and get rid of the visiting temptress, corrupting society. Oh, that's a particularly colorful character! A searing mixture of pride, arrogance, power and delusion in one’s own prejudices. Of course, the villain’s chances of success are negligible, and he himself, unable to resist a huge temptation, falls at the feet of Vienne.
The atmosphere of an ancient European town, beautiful shots of handmade chocolate sweets, and the amazing mood of fabulous magic, which literally hovers in the air makes the picture truly unique and unforgettable. Such films as your favorite delicacy want to try again and again, discovering new facets of taste!
10 out of 10
If you think that the plot of the film “Chocolate” will revolve around the beloved and star Johnny Depp, then you are deeply mistaken. This really sweet and sweet movie is not about him. And in general, it is not as much as it may seem from the poster picture.
The film is mainly devoted to eternal human values, such as mutual understanding and love (not only for the opposite sex, but also for the neighbor). Which, contrary to mathematical logic, which states that parallel lines do not intersect, in our case, exactly the opposite, exist inseparably, moreover, together.
"Exposition."
The plot of the film takes place in one of the French towns, such as this, an island of morality in the ocean of sinfulness, in the second postwar decade. Its inhabitants seem to be decent and churched persons (with skeletons in the closet, as it turns out in the course), live a noticeable life, under the supervision of a strict, but in the soul of the unhappy mayor - Count de Reynaud (Alfred Molina). Who, among other things, de facto took over the functions of the rector of the local Catholic community, due to the infantile nature of the young priest.
It is not known how long such an authoritarian and puritanical order would have remained in the city had it not been for one cloudy day, a charming pastry woman (Juliet Binoche), with her young daughter, wandered into its walls. This is where the most interesting thing begins: the antagonistic struggle between orthodox Catholic principles and common sense. But it is not necessary in any case to simplify the problem, and think that the director intends to contrast faith as such, secular life with its lusts and weaknesses. No, that's not the point. Through this ideological rivalry, the authors of the picture reveal another problem, namely, the question of accepting and understanding the position of the neighbor, regardless of what ideological platform he stands on.
"Epilogue."
“Any prohibition begets desire.” This, and no other axiom, as for me, should end the review of the film “Chocolate”. She speaks more beautifully than a thousand words, and eloquently expresses the essence of the picture.
Thanks for your attention, I definitely recommend it.
I thought you'd never guess. My favorite is hot chocolate.
The seductive smell of coffee and bars of dark chocolate with nuts. For many people, these words mean more than just a list of products. Eloquent actors of advertising for a long time instilled in us admiration for the atmosphere of the French morning, even without the need to leave the house. So the picture of the Swede Lasse Hallström does what we most often turn to the world of cinema - leads away from everyday life and leads by the hand into a fictional, but beautiful and fragrant story.
From the very first scenes, you pay attention to the main advantage of the film - its atmosphere. The small settlement is simply fascinating from the very first scenes. Age-old architecture with tiled roofs is pleasantly rusty. Close streets paved with paving stones. A small central square in front of the City Hall and the church with a statue of the ancestor of the local aristocracy. A stunning view from the hill to the valley below on one side and the river on the other. Closed conservative community of several hundred residents, even the sample of 1959. About such places say that time froze here and personally I clinged to the screen during my first acquaintance with Chocolate. We can go further and say that the story, which is the adaptation of the novel, really leisurely book atmosphere.
The main character of the film - as it is usually emphasized, a single mother. Together with the north winds and her daughter, she comes to this town and opens a chocolate bar. The fierceness of conservative morals, largely in the person of the local aristocrat and Mayor Raynaud, cause the viewer to be puzzled. The case when very quickly you have sympathy for the actor and wish her not to give up. The heroine Juliette Binoche is not going to run with her tail clenched. Little by little, she gathers around herself a circle of people who are not indifferent to the chocolate girl and her company. While the mayor runs from house to house with gossip, his city comes alive day after day, no longer content with the usual grayness and unspoken rule not to stand out.
Two hours of the film, with the exception of just a few sad remarks, takes place in a high spirit and atmosphere of a kind of home comfort. By the way, the very style of realistic fantasy resembles the work of Tim Burton, which you remember when the hero Johnny Depp appeared in the story. To the surprise of many, this is not the main male character in the film, both in terms of the amount of screen time and the impact on the story. Of course, the fabulous image of the representative of the river people, who is educated, read, gallant and beautiful. Separately, I want to note the game of Judy Dench in the image of an old grumpy hostess of the room. Her relationship with her daughter and grandson causes mild sadness.
8 out of 10
For a long time approached writing this review, it is very difficult to choose the words to express your impressions of such a beautiful and beloved film. The film is a real temptation and temptation, but the temptation is good and innocent. The film is magical, romantic, fabulous, but just beautiful! The film is beauty as it is. The film is perfect and the film is special.
About the director Lasse Halstrom. Actually, I only saw three of his works, one of which I didn’t like very much (Casanova), but the other two liked madly (Chocolate and What Eats Gilbert Grape). Too little to call him a favorite director. Too little to judge his work objectively. All Halstrom’s films are different from each other: some are atmospheric, fabulous and light, others, on the contrary, realistic and dramatic. But all his films carry a charge of light, kindness and hope for the best. These are difficult, sometimes sad, but good stories that will penetrate into your soul, and which you are likely to love with all your heart.
A few words about the atmosphere and feelings of the film. The film is very warm and warm, truly charming. The atmosphere is created from the cobbled streets and architecture of the old town, the stylish appearance of its inhabitants, fascinating music, beautiful landscapes, disarming the smiles of Vianne, Roux, and Josephine, and, of course, chocolate, which begins to be perceived really as something special and wonderful, capable of making people kinder and happier.
The book and the film adaptation. The book was read a long time ago, the impressions were the most positive. In the film, the story itself was greatly changed, this is not a literal adaptation, almost all the characters turned out to be completely different, but in this case it is not at all bad. In truth, I admit that the book is deeper and more meaningful than the film, but I personally liked the film much more. The story in the film is not so mystical, but kinder and life-affirming.
Finally, the most interesting is the actors. Vianne as Juliette Binoche, conquers with her charm from the very first minutes, kind, smiling and open, but at the same time a little mysterious. It is no coincidence that Viann is able to find an approach to everyone, as well as guess which chocolate to whom to like (with a few exceptions, more on this later). It turned out the image of a real good witch and just a good woman. One of the best roles of Juliette Binoche.
The interesting character of Count Reno is Alfred Molina. Vianne's main opponent, the embodiment of conservatism and the desire to keep everything under control. In some ways he remains a little boy who aspires to be good as he was taught. And demands the same from others. At the same time, not all his actions are beautiful, and most importantly, he lacks tolerance and the ability to compromise. But since he is a child at heart, it was possible to re-educate him for the better.
The priest is still a boy, a very funny character. Remarkably, in the book it was the priest who was Vianne’s opponent, and in the film he was turned into a count, the priest here is only a tool in the hands of the count, a creature harmless and cute.
Josephine - at the beginning of the film - an unsociable downtrodden woman of marginal appearance. After Vianne, not without difficulty, becomes her friend, Josephine literally blossoms - femininity, dignity, cheerfulness appear in her.
Armand is a very unusual image of Judy Dench for me, and she is much more attractive to me than the boss of James Bond. An old rebel who lives by her own rules. Perhaps the only character who turned out to be the same as in the book.
Anuk is a lively and real child, with the whims of imaginary friends, but on the whole kind and human. Luke is a child a little idealized in his obedience, also kind and human, but downtrodden and secretive.
Carolyn loves her son and mother, but does not understand them. They think they are doing it for their own good, but they are only doing it for them. Like the count, she is conservative, intolerant and eager to take control. But it is changing for the better.
And finally, Ru. Ru, who is not so much, but who is simply necessary here, it is he who brings the necessary spark that turns a very good film into a masterpiece. When I am given the opportunity to recall Johnny Depp’s filmography, I usually forget about his role in Chocolate, which is a crime. Yes, it is not the most brilliant and iconic of his role, but damn good! Charm, beauty, kindness - nothing superfluous, and everything is perfect! And I like the fact that here he lets Juliette Binoche outplay himself, doesn't come to the fore. The character himself is very different from Roo from the book: he was quite aggressive, “bitten”, in the film Roo turned out “white and fluffy”, the very charm. In the context of the film, it is necessary.
And, of course, a separate admiration is caused by the love line played by Johnny and Juliette. On the one hand she is soft and unobtrusive, on the other hand passionate and convincing. There is some special beauty in it, and there is a light in it that gives the plot additional sharpness, which allows you to avoid indulgence. And, yes, Vianne is not immediately able to guess what Roo likes best!
Well, under the curtain a few words about the fact that from my point of view there is only a means and a reason, not a purpose and meaning, but still an important component of this story. Chocolate. Chocolate here is a real work of art. The scenes where Vianne creates his creations are simply fascinating. It seems that you really feel its aroma, taste and it is divine! (With all due respect to the fact that most people do not imagine watching this film without a chocolate bar, personally for me this film is not in the category under which it is permissible to chew.) ) Chocolate here is not just the usual sweetness, but something special, refined, able to change the fate of people for the better.
The movie is really beautiful!
The north wind brings to a small French town two women, the daughter and granddaughter of a Christian and a pagan Indian; from the first they inherited tolerance, genuine kindness, non-judgment, hard work, from the second - hot blood, an insatiable thirst for wandering and recipes for chocolate delicacies. The city is quiet as before a storm, and the storm will soon break out. For a woman and a girl brought a new religion into a closed world, and its name is chocolate. The old, with the exception of a particularly stubborn defender, will sluggishly resist, but will give up exactly by Easter, especially stubborn will shame himself so that the screenwriter and director will want to be ashamed for such exposure of someone else’s shame, and the heroine will meet a kindred soul and calm his.
Don’t try to figure out which is better, a book or a movie. These are not completely different things – they are only not done in one key. The distortion of images and facts is only a formality. The main similarity remains - the struggle, the main difference - the rigidity of the frame.
Of course, the struggle does not mean the confrontation of the owner and alien. This is not even a struggle between tradition and novelty, unoriginally linked to the fresh (northern) wind. This is not a struggle of stiff blinkeredness (called the good word “peace”) with gushing joy. This is not even a struggle between Christianity and paganism; it is a struggle between two kinds of virtue. Virtues associated with faith and religion, and virtues born outside faith, worldly, humanistic. There is hardly any conspiracy to be found here. Humanism developed so naturally, so flatteringly, that the world surrendered to it almost without a fight. And two things were mixed in consciousness and intertwined: love for man, that which is above the law, and pleasing man. The difference is sometimes subtle, and manipulative juggling with other words is confusing.
As in nothing else, the interweaving to confusion affected the timing of events. Two strangers, an adult and a young woman, arrive at a new place of culinary and social activity on the eve of Lent, and the city greets them with gloom. The whole city, including the monument to the ancestor of Count Raynaud, who once expelled the Huguenots, is inhospitable, mournful and pinched. All natural desires are suppressed: a hint that fasting, in essence, never ends in the city. A humble flock looks no better than a woman who is regularly subjected to the most perverse methods of domestic violence: she has a hundred willful impulses, but reduces them to a timid rebellion. Josephine steals; crushed by the dictates of his mother, a talented artist boy spills out a secret desire to nail the parent to paper in the form of richly diverse scenes of death and executions; and the mother herself tyranns everyone, including herself, for a secret passion for the “chef” – Count Raynaud, foolishly faithful wife who abandoned him. The count, born of a life-loving fat man who wants to eat and love, tyrannizes the whole city, so that it would not hurt to submit to the conventions of oneself. Those who do not know what to do, just silently suffer. The phenomenon of strangers not only opens the gates of the temple (inviting everyone to leave the “dungeon”), but also crosses out the blackness of lean robes with a bright red line. Aliens bring joy, taste and honesty to the city: Vienne does not know how to pretend, does not tolerate hypocrisy. She is asked to kindly not start feeding everyone chocolate in fasting, but does good tolerate delay, with his hand on his heart? If an unbelieving old woman wants to die without God, but in joy and joy, perhaps she really cannot be denied this. If a woman is tragically dissatisfied, it is necessary to give her husband an aphrodisiac, even on those days when it is supposed to give up worldly joys and be in silence. If grandma can't see her grandson, you need to bring these two together, even if at the cost of disobedience. If two old people can’t get together, they need to be connected. The sorrow is that the film contrasts the splashy self-will of joy with the miserly and beautiful that would be done in the soul of everyone. If only it were sincere.
Therefore, strangely enough, any believer will say that the appearance of Viennes to the people was allowed by God, and allowed for reproof and good. The movie, in fact, should have said thank you. For in a book that was truly talented, the conflict between woman and the Church was worse; the film softened it to the point of impossibility. The young priest boy, who has not yet gone far from his yard childhood, repeating the “necessary words” after his “elder comrade” like a parrot, is aroused by his diligence. And the count is not the embodiment of the “black man”, killing all joy, but a big stubborn child. The unexpected warmth of the image informs the character in another direction: naively, falsely, he works on himself, holds a line, wants to believe, to live as he teaches; not believing deeply, he believes that behind faith is the truth. Such a faith needs upheaval and testing, but it should not be dipped in chocolate. Will everyone think about it?
Moreover, Christian values are not abolished or abolished by the film. It is all the more insulting, because people who are far from churching, but also from faith, are unlikely to draw such a conclusion. For an ordinary humanist, one thing is clearer than any other: the enemy of all is Lent, meaningless and merciless. Absolutely nothing to respect the charter of the monastery, where you come, you need, positioning your thread and calling the inhabitants under the comb narrow-minded provincials (c) Roux, the hero of Johnny Depp, declare his overflowing joy to be the ultimate truth and make this world bend under you. It is unlikely to leak the idea that it is really necessary to resist worldly temptations. It is hardly thought that in the film involuntarily, casually on the side of “evil” are such virtues as discipline, self-control, following one’s principles, family values and the value of marriage as an institution, housekeeping, restraint in the manifestation of feelings and widow loyalty, pain for the life and soul of a native person and the desire to save every soul. Distorted by misunderstanding, they appear to be false at first. For the whole mess is called the "holy war between morality and the chocolate girl," and morality is reduced to a bogeyman. In the end, morality wins, but the winner is beautiful immorality. Thus, a fragrant, fresh, lively and voluminous film essentially plays into the hands of "ours and yours," without satisfying either side.
The most unpleasant thing in this fight is the use of chemical weapons. There was clearly nothing to oppose the other side. Just good was accompanied by feeding, and a potion with filling, provoking fornication. Where will we find the truth? Where to look for her, the city asks silently at the beginning of the film. The film itself destroys its own truth, reducing it to these wonderful chocolate pieces and drops. And the demon squeamishly wrinkles: "Was not my labors worth only fools and hypocrites?" A good, powerful war would be more interesting. Chocolate deserves a much better use.
I haven’t read the book that was the starting point for this film, so there won’t be any better/worse comparisons. But what I can say right away is that someday I will find it and read it. I will. Just because I don't believe that a book that was so enveloping could be bad.
Indeed, the effect of chocolate is not comparable to anything else. Fully justifying its name, it leaves behind a tart aftertaste - sit and savor. Because chocolate is not "Alyonka" there; no, chocolate is expensive, bitter, with pepper, with almonds, with sea salt. Although, to confess, it was the name itself - "Sho-ko-lad" - that caused me to get so close to viewing this masterpiece for so long, I will not be afraid of this word. I thought it was something cheesy, sweet, with Johnny Depp pretty. I am so glad you were wrong!
Surprisingly, it doesn't smell sweet here. The plot is based solely on humanity - as much as each of the characters can afford it. To love your neighbor, to consider in each his fears and desires, to give them that necessary, something vital, which will blossom a smile on his face and warm his eyes. How strange and contradictory - a cold, northern wind came, but brought so much heat to this small city.
The characters are very organically inscribed, without exception, and the actors are selected just fine. Watching each of them separately is a special pleasure, since almost each has so many facets and contradictions that it causes quiet delight. Especially the character of Alfred Molina is just a song. To resist so long and persistently one’s own humanity, one’s ability to enjoy every little thing in life – and this is not indulging in weaknesses, as one might think, but only being open to the world – in order to fall victim to the present. In general, the most powerful impression was made by him, and not Vienne. Probably because it most fully revealed the human essence. I think that was the main thing in this film. Everything else - wind, Vienne, chocolate, this church with its postulates - is nothing more than a pretext and entourage. However, nothing would have happened without them, and there would not have been that special atmosphere, thanks to which this film so accurately falls into the soul.