Chocolat

For this blog assignment, I decided to watch the movie Chocolat because I had heard from so many people that this was a great movie, I just never had the chance to watch it. I thought that the movie was wonderful right from the very beginning because I could easily connect to it. When the mother Vianne and her daughter decide to open up a chocolate shop in a small French town, it just made my think of my mom and I. Though my mom and I have never thought of opening up a chocolate shop, I could picture us doing it. My mom and I are very close, we both love chocolate, and……who wouldn’t want to open up a chocolate shop? I know that I would jump at the opportunity it ever came in front of me. So, my very first reaction the film was positive because it shows that the mother and daughter share a close relationship, just as my mom and I do. It was interesting to find out however, that the problem presented in this movie was the fact that the chocolate shop opened right around lent. Though I do not partake in lent, I know many people that do and it and it becomes fascinating to see how many people give up on lent a few weeks in as well as see the people who are able to last. I instantly thought to myself, “How would I react to this situation? If I had given chocolate up for lent, would I give in and go to the chocolate shop anyways?” This instantly brought the issue into my mind about how much food can influence individuals in our society. Food is so important to us and sometimes we give other important event in our lives just because of food. This issue was not brought up in the movie though because most of the townspeople disliked them in the first place. This was a very tough start for Vianne and her daughter because their chocolate shop was disliked not because of the chocolate, but because of initial reactions to these “new townspeople.” The problem was soon solved however, when a gentleman opened up to her and helped her express the real person in her. Because Vianne and her daughter we disliked from the get go, Vianne was trying to act as somebody she wasn’t in order to fit in; this did not work and she soon found out that acting herself will get her further in life. Instead of acting as someone she is not, she started to make delicious desserts that fascinated the townspeople. They were drawn to the chocolate shop because of these deserts and they were able to learn more about her and the person she really is. The main message I got from this film was the food can really bring people together. I have recognized that in my own life; my family and friends go out to dinner a lot in order to catch up with one another. It is amazing to think about the passion that comes between people and food, in this case chocolate. I fully agree with this message and will always believe that food has a close tie with the bringing together of people. It creates a passion that nothing else can create. I found it interesting when thinking about food and appetite. I know there have been several instances where I have been invited to go to dinner with a bunch of my friends however, I had already eaten. I decided to go with them anyways just to catch up on life. I even ate more when I went to dinner! This is probably not a good thing but hey, it brings people together and allows people to stay close.
I read a review that I completely agree with. It said, “It may be entitled Chocolat, but this movie really reminds me of candy. Eye candy, that is. From its setting of a quaint little French hamlet to the lovely little chocolaterie that is the centre of the action, to the loveliness of the two leads (a very suave Johnny Depp and a truly mouthwatering Juliette Binoche), everything about Chocolat is a pleasure to the eye.” I agree with this because it was definitely a pleasure to the eye. It opened up my eyes to many things and it confirmed some of the things that I thought about food. I absolutely loved the movie and would suggest that everybody watch it!

Lourdes, Marc. “Film feast; [Main/lifestyle edition].” New Straits Times (2007): p. 02. Proquest Research Library. Proquest. Western Library, Bellingham. 1 December 2008. www.proquest.com