Chocolat (2000 film)

Chocolat (Chocolate, as it was translated in some Spanish-speaking countries) is a 2000 film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Juliette Binoche. It is a co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, based on the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris. In order to prepare for the role of her, Juliette Binoche spent a few days in a confectionery in Paris, learning to prepare chocolate candies.

Plot

The film tells the story of a single woman, Vianne Rocher (Juliete Binoche) and her daughter Anouk, who arrive in Lansquenet, a small French town, in the winter of 1959. Vianne's nomadic life and her indifference to the Catholicism shake the foundations of the mostly conservative and pious society of the town whose inhabitants, moralistic and repressed, live by appearances and reject everything that, new or unknown, is introduced into their lives. Shortly after arriving, Vianne has a gift for reading people and knowing what kind of chocolate the palate and soul of people prefer, since chocolate, according to a Mayan legend, has the power to unmask the deepest longings. of people. So he opens his own chocolate shop, with which he slowly begins to gain the trust of many in the town, but at the same time causes him enormous confrontations with the traditional factions, who consider that by being right in front of the town church, and working on Sundays, Vianne represents a threat to the establishment. As Easter Sunday approaches, the confrontation grows between those who support her and those who disown her, especially when Vianne decides to organize a chocolate festival during one of the most important celebrations of Catholicism.

Interspersed with the main plot, there is a small love story between Vianne and Roux (Johnny Depp), equally rejected and hated by the townspeople for their different morals and nomadic character.

Cast

• Juliette Binoche like Vianne Rocher
• Victoire Thivisol as Anouk Rocher, the daughter of Vianne (expressed by Sally Taylor-Isherwood because the French accent of Victoire made it difficult to understand)
• Arnaud Adam as George Rocher, father of Vianne
• Christianne Oliveira as Chitza Rocher, the mother of Vianne
• Carrie-Anne Moss as Caroline Clairmont, Armande's daughter
• Judi Dench as Armande Voizin, Caroline's mother
• Aurélien Parent-Koenig as Luc Clairmont, son of Caroline
• Alfred Molina as Comte de Reynaud, the mayor
• Peter Stormare as Serge Muscat, owner of a coffee
• Lena Olin as Josephine Muscat, Serge's abused wife
• Johnny Depp like Roux, adventure traveler and Vianne lover
• Hugh O'Conor as Pere Henri, village priest
• Hélène Cardona as Françoise "Fuffi" Drou, owner of a beauty salon
• Antonio Gil as Jean-Marc Drou
• Elisabeth Commelin as Yvette Marceau, a woman who buys chocolates as aphrodisiac
• Ron Cook like Alphonse Marceau, Yvette's husband
• Leslie Caron as Madame Audel, widow of the village whose husband died in the First World War
• John Wood as Guillaume Blerot, who has a long yearning for Madame Audel
• Michèle Gleizer as Madame Rivet, a woman of the people who work for the Comte.
• Dominique MacAvoy as Madame Pouget, village woman
• Tatyana Yassukovich, the narrator

Awards

In the year of release, it earned five Oscar nominations in the categories of Best Picture, Best Lead Actress (Juliette Binoche), Best Actress in a Cast (Judi Dench), Best Adapted Screenplay (Robert Nelson Jacobs) and Best Original Score (Rachel Portman). the Golden Globe Awards for Best Film, BSO, Comedy Actress and Supporting Actress and 8 at the BAFTAs, highlighting Best actress (Binoche) and costumes. Other Chocolat nominations were at the WGA, Writers Guild, SAG, Screenwriters Guild, and David de Donatello Awards for Best Foreign Film.

In 2001 Juliette Binoche received the audience award for best actress at the European Film Awards.

At the Nastro de Argento festival, the award for best female dubbing went to Franca D'Amato (for the dubbing of Juliette Binoche) and at the Art Directors Guild Awards the film won & #34;Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film" Another award was for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role" (Judi Dench) at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She was also nominated at this same festival for & # 34; Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture & # 34; and "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a Leading Role"

In 2001 it will also be nominated at the Goya Awards for best European film