Chocolat is a novel by Joanne Harris, written in 1999 and then made into a film in 2000, it is a romance film with a difference 😀
The story unfolds with Vianne Rocher the main character, a young mother who arrives in a French village with her 6 year old daughter, Anouk. The village is strongly dictated by it’s curate Francis Reynaud and the ethics of the catholic church. Vianne has an almost magical talent as a chocolatier and her shop and her chocolates start to cause change in the village, a change that the church fears. But change can be good and for some of the villagers, change is exactly what’s needed. For Vianne and Anouk, change must also happen. But will Vianne let her magic work on herself.
I adore Joanne Harris’ work and find her writing magical. Her use of description and her characters unfold in your mind so easily that I feared that any adaptation would spoil what her writing and my imagination had created. I need not have worried 😀
I read the book first and have only watched the movie now, as I tend to hate adaptations, preferring my imagination over a directors interpretation. But Lasse Hallstrom got the feel just right. With a tasty cast including the gorgeous Juliette Binoche, the fabulous dame Judi Dench, the equally gorgeous Lena Olin and last but not least the sexy Johnny (lets dip him in chocolate) Depp 😉
The movie creates all the emotions I got from the book, plus the casting was perfect. It was beautifully portrayed and tempts me once again to go to France.
If you fancy a bit of romance, curl up on the sofa with the book or the movie and of course, don’t forget your chocolates.
Soapgirl
