Chocolat sure to melt hearts

Chocolat is the story of what happens when a woman wanders into a small French town and opens up a chocolaterie. When Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter Anouk wander into a small river town in the French countryside one windy Sunday morning, a violent gust of bitter cold throws open the doors to the villager's church. The townspeople are stunned at this, but dismiss it as just an act of nature. Rocher visits Amande Voizin (Judi Dench) to rent out an apartment and an old shop on the corner of the town square. Voizin reluctantly rents out the space and inquires as to what kind of business Rocher intends to open. The reply is that it will be something different. All of the townsfolk become quite curious about this strange and sudden visitor in their quiet community. They begin poking around to see if they can discover what she is doing with the rented space. Rocher soon opens the shop and receives a very cold welcome from the town's mayor, a man who rules the town by way of controlling the church. When Vianne politely informs him that she does not attend church, it only further alienates her from the small community. The townspeople shun Rocher and her daughter because of this, along with the fact that the store has opened at the beginning of the Lenten season, which involves mild fasting for five weeks. The situation is further complicated when Rocher begins helping the townspeople resolve their personal problems. The mayor will now do whatever it takes to force her out. Chocolat is a romantic comedy that excels beyond all expectations. Dench and Binoche are nothing short of wonderful. They make you laugh, they make cry and they make you love them for every bit of the film. Johnny Depp and Carrie-Ann Moss have minor roles in the film as Rocher's love interest and Voizin's daughter, respectively. The biggest drawback to the film is the easily predictable ending and cheesy final narration that leave the viewer wanting a bit more. Chocolat could have profited from trimming down the ending instead of actually showing the last few minutes of the film. However, Chocolat is a perfect date movie, and can stand for a non-date viewing as well. Chocolat is now showing at the Carmike 10 and the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8. Rating: B