Chocolat (2000)

A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.

So as 'descriptive' as the summary above is, I understand why it couldn't be much longer.  Chocolat is one of the most interesting movies I have seen in a while but it is one of those movies that has so much subtext that you have to keep your brain ON while you watch it.

That being said, this one is not for all movie-goers if you're just looking for a 2 hour distraction from everyday life.  But if you feel like using your thinking muscles then it's a pretty good investment.

It opens with Vianne and her daughter Anouk coming to a small town in Frace with SUPER DUPER strict unwritten rules.  Everyone goes to church, everyone listens to the mayor, and everyone ignores the general flaws of the townspeople to keep the peace.

Vianne and Anouk don't go to church, Vianne was never married (so Anouk is not exactly welcomed into the town either...), and they open a chocolate shop in the middle of Lent--a time of fasting.

As scandalous rumors spread about the mother and daughter a group of so-called pirates sail into town.  They are solely embraced by Vianne and Anouk, but the rest of the town is trying to 'boycott immorality' and ignores them hoping they'll leave of their own accord.  The leader of the River Rats (as the mayor calls them) is played by Johnny Depp and he falls in love with Vianne, making them both even more hated by the town.

As tensions mount, the townspeople make some serious judgement calls and the ending is pretty surprising.  It wasn't quite a happily ever after...but it was kinda close.

I really liked the idea of this movie, the social prinicples involved and how the townspeople were awakened near the end of the movie were awe inspiring.  The filming was captivating, interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat...well it kept me awake in my sociology class so THAT is impressive!

Overall 4 stars.  I don't know if I would rush to see it again but I would definitely re-watch it in the future.