What makes the story interesting is that it is not just a question of whether she will change the town, but will the town change Vianne and her wandering ways. We soon learn that this woman, who came in mysteriously with the North Wind, adds a certain magic to her chocolate, bringing out the true desires in this repressed town. The woman, Vianne (Juliette Binoche), sets up a chocolaterie, much to the chagrin of the wickedly uptight mayor, played wonderfully by Alfred Molina. The film starts when a mysterious woman and her daughter appear in a conservative town in 1950's France. What is refreshing this time around is that the film tries to take the story to another level without becoming too self-serious. The easiest and most personal story for most artists to tell is the one of being a free spirit trapped in a conservative or misunderstanding place, and Hollywood has churned out many such a tale. Lasse Hallstrom's Chocolat is a simple film with a fairly simple theme, told with a healthy dose of magical realism and choco-worship.
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