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Simply Perfect

As Good As It Gets

A different way of telling a story

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

A very sweet movie. Excellent representation of a simple story represented in a powerful way. The village location is perfect for a old world slow lifestyle charm. Messaging is subtle and strong. Judi Dench's presence as always is royal and majestic. Juliette Binoche fits in perfectly in the lead role and has charming personality.Not very pleased with Alfred Molina's representation of the character Helene provides strong supporting presence. Johnny Depp has strong personality but does not overshadow the story.Speed of story telling is just right and I am sure the author would be pleased with the representation of his story in a memorable way.

Chocolat is a beautiful movie telling a tale of a newly arrived shop owner versus the established order in a Northern French village, post World War II. The movie also has sidebar stories of spousal abuse, difficult parent-child relationships, and romance. The movie has some quirky humour that brings comic relief to the misfortunes. The cast is outstanding with Juliette Binoche, the village's recently arrived chocolatier; Johnny Depp, as Roux another newcomer; and Judy Dench, as the free spirited grandmother who has been ostracized by the village and her own daughter. Leslie Caron has a minor role as one of three widows. Juliette Binoche plays a very warm and somewhat unconventional young woman who takes over a patisserie where she sets up a chocolate shop with flavours that disarm and delight everyone who tastes them. However, the village is not about to embrace the new entrepreneur; the village mayor dislikes anyone who threatens his petty tyranny and this includes the new chocolatier and Johnny Depp's group of merrymaking gypsies. When the small town bigotry turns violent, the village priest, a mere lad, finally breaks from the mayor's rigid code of morality that he has been all too willing to follow. Eventually the two sides in this battle collide. In the end, the chocolate becomes a decisive weapon in the village war. When the dust settles, the viewer can feel a sense of satisfaction in this well paced and thoroughly entertaining movie.

The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It was also nominated for eight BAFTAs, and four Golden Globes & 29 nominations. Judi Dench won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in the film. Story- Chocolat is a 2000 American-British romance film based on the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris, and was directed by Lasse Hallström. Adapted by screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, Chocolat tells the story of a young mother, played by Juliette Binoche, who arrives at the fictional, repressed French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter and opens La Chocolaterie Maya, a small chocolaterie. Her chocolate quickly begins to change the lives of the townspeople, and shakes up the rigid morality of the community. It scored more than 6 according to the critics.

Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter move to a rural conservative French town and open a chocolate shop. The town is run by the mayor Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina) who is a traditionalist. He is not amused by Vianne's life and her ideas. They start to fight for the soul of the town. Then a band of gypsies comes to town with the sexy Roux (Johnny Depp).It's a slow moving story. It has its charms, and Juliette Binoche is as lovely as ever. The actors are all great. Although Lena Olin is miscast as an abused wife. The role needs a more mousy actor. Lena is way too powerful for the role.The movie is a sort of talky lyrical erotic fable, and it starts with the glow that Binoche gives off. The comedy is fleeting. The battle between Reynaud and Rocher doesn't have the needed tension. It does have heart. But the pacing is slow for a two hours movie. Johnny Depp is a cool river traveling musician, and comes in a little too late in the movie. When he comes in after almost half of the movie over, he mostly distracts. Overall, this movie is a little too slow for my taste.