Analysis of Chocolat - Movie Review Example

?Chocolat: Year of release: January 2001 Director: Lasse Hallstrom Genre: Romance, Drama Tag line: Chocolate melts the hearts….. Duration: 2 hours minute Protagonists: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench(IMDB) Overview: This is the story of a woman and her daughter whose activities and choice of profession stand as tentacle in a conservative and closed system environment. Vianne Rocher (Juliette) Binoche, plays the main lead as the confectionery owner and organizer. Driven by church rulings and other religious affiliations, the community does not look up to the profession taken up and as a result she is faced with severe criticism. The local ambiance is ruled by the concept of hermitage and eremite, her profession and endeavor is seen as a threat to the conservative mindset that is being spread and preached in the local Christian community in a town in France. However the taste and quality of the items sold and presented leave the members of society helpless against their religious rituals and observations and less can they do to resist the temptation of fine quality of confectionery being served by Vianne Rocher. She in a short manner masters the craft and art of chocolate making and becomes the best in town which is hard to resist. The overall proceedings raise an eye brow in the town’s power group and it does not go well with them. The severe critic of overall idea is the mayor of town Comte De Reynaud who is not enjoying the proceedings as they take place in his community. Being against his nature, and the overall environment of the community, he is hell bent of curbing its spread since according to him, it stands against the religious preaching. He has resolved to packing the business and dealing with the owner with a fist hand. He would do anything to get the gains he is after. However Vianne has some other thoughts and she is equally resolved and devoted towards her profession and she finds nothing wrong against this profession and aims at spreading it further in the community and rejoices the people’s taste with her delicious tasted chocolates. She plans big for this and her plans find a supporting pillar when a good looking Gypsy Roux comes to the scene and both decide to arrange a grand event that would set foundations for its spread in the entire community and would give people something to cherish and enjoy in a strictly held environment of religious associations. The timing of the mega event is of high significance and it is related and dropped at a time that coincides with the local locality’s religious beliefs. The two chose Easter Sunday for the festival which is the last thing the mayor and other opponents of the idea could have expected. The chocolate coated message in the movie: The movie is indication and message conveyer of empathy and love and cherishing the moments and living the life as it should be lived. The entire idea about the confectionery and chocolate business is to bring about joy and happiness in the lives of people of the incumbent society who are pressed by the recluse in the name of theological beliefs imposed on them in form of orthodox social factors. The coining in of the chocolate concept makes it softer to digest and leaves an impact in a gentle way. While the mayor and other officials are skeptical of the entire idea, the locals receive the entire idea warmly and see it as a breath of fresh air in an environment and society that was restricted previously in the name of religious practices. It is the strong presence of chocolate and its ability to make way and find place in the hearts of people of the local scene that its practices and confectionery operation is allowed. This very act sets the precedence for more relaxation and more power and freedom of people in the society which was a scarcity in past and people had to live under curbed circumstances. Director’s cut: Lasse Hallstrom has lived up to his name and has delivered what he is expected of and is known for. With this movie and deliverance he has extended his legacy as one of the fine directors of the contemporary era. While the modern times are focused on commercialism with little insight in to story and dept, lasse hallstrom still believes in quality over quantity and glamour and for that reason. Enriched with schmaltz, the sets are reflective of the intensive element that is necessary in certain segments of the movie. This is well crafted in moments like those of celebration and rejoicing, especially during the festival events in form of Grand Festival of Chocolate. Other similar and artsy works on the incumbent director include what’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Dear John and The Cidar House Rules. All have a standing and recognition as refined pieces of art in the cinematic world, and those who truly understand the art and artists ability acknowledge the fact that these movies are not just another movie rather fine pieces of art that have been directed brought to scene in the most prolific manner due. The script: The script conveys a loud message in a very subtle way and through the most feasible and flexible tool of confectionery that hits the sense of taste in the sweetest of manners. It has pointed out to a old custom that was oppressive and against the nature of free society and free people, yet the message has been conveyed in the most harmonized manner without hurting anyone’s feelings. The director has various other movies and fine pieces under his belt which make him the established, renowned for his artistic work in cinematic corridors. Lead contributions: Juliette Binoche has done full justice to the role and the requirements under slatted. Her task is well carried by the Gypsy role played by Johnny Depp who comes to the forth midway through and together these two hand in hand expand their efforts and make it possible which was once impossible. Each of them has played the role in its due manner and with lapses in the roles played; the overall package wouldn’t be as it stands presently. The IMDB fans rate it over 7 ( 7.3) which is a high ranking for any movie. Critical acclamation: Joe Baltake (Flixster) rightly terms it a movie that is further enriched by the concept of chocolate. The element of chocolate in itself refines the overall idea makes it more scrumptious not just relating to the taste of tongue but also to the other tastes in terms of cinematic excellence. Element of coherence: The movie is well coherent and structured in bits. Each segment complements other in its own way, while the first phase is a build up and relatively slow, second is well carried along and the third is relatively fast paced as per need since it had more activity to it. The entire script and its execution is conducted in such a way that the beginning sets foundation for the middle and the post intermission part is well taken on after the buildup. In the last twenty five to thirty minutes, things are packed up so well that they add further crisp to the entire recipe and movie. The script is intense when needed, and very flexible and depictive of fun and humorous play on other occasions when demanded in the plot, such a script would the abilities of such a director (Lasse Hallstrom) to take it along and hold it in to one piece without letting it fall apart. Works Cited Flixster, Inc. Chocolat. 2000. Web. 15 Mar. 2013 . IMDB. Chocolat. 2000. Web. 15 Mar. 2013 . Read More