Lasse Hallstrom’s 1999 effort, “”The Cider House Rules,”” breathlessly recreated author John Irving’s eloquently drawn New England world through the eyes of a curious orphan medical apprentice with a sudden taste for living. A critical darling, “”Cider House”” earned Hallstrom a fair amount of Oscar nominations and even scored a supporting trophy for veteran actor Michael Caine. In his follow-up project, “”Chocolat,”” Hallstrom applies many of the same touches but comes away with a bland, tasteless film that features nary a hint of the magical ingredients found in the lovely “”Cider House.””
I attribute it to an extreme lack of effort, considering the director’s source material and stellar cast of acting heavyweights. Working from Robert Nelson Jacobs’ adaptation of Joanne Harris’ award-winning novel, “”Chocolat”” stars Juliette Binoche (“”The English Patient””) as single-mother Vianne who, with her daughter in tow, sets up a chocolate shop in a strictly conservative French town (as if there were such a thing). Her shop and its wares stir up all sorts of curiosity until she starts serving her irresistible chocolate treats, an act that frightens and challenges the town’s small-minded political leaders. Vianne’s mild rebellion, or capitalistic practices, links her to the town’s outcasts, namely a wife who wishes to leave her abusive husband and a grandmother (lazily played by Dame Judi Dench) who’s banned from seeing her grandson because of a long-standing quarrel she’s having with her daughter. The film suggests that a secret ingredient – a spicy Chile powder – found in Vianne’s sweets empowers these ladies to stand up to their oppressors. Funny, chocolate really only makes me feel bloated and tired. Just like this movie. Jacobs’ screenplay lacks drive, leaving the actors too much time to stand around a barren cottage of a chocolate shop and dish. Johnny Depp pops us as a drifter and potential love interest, but you just know his long-haired, free-thinking kind isn’t welcome in this corner of the world. And Dench, unfocused and ineffective in a shallow role, nears Marlon Brando territory, taking a bit part for no apparent reason and bringing a misguided eccentricity to the table. “”Chocolat”” desperately wants to be an enchanting fairy tale (or at least a Merchant Ivory film) but never unearths any redeeming qualities. Hallstrom appears afraid to completely cross the threshold and make a genuine foreign film for fear of alienating the American audiences he picked up with “”Cider House.”” As a result, his “”Chocolat”” bears the quirky characters and meandering pace you’d find in an agreeable French film, but forces an awkward romance with a deadbeat transient and a tidy conclusion that really doesn’t fit. Despite the strong cast and talented team of filmmakers, “”Chocolat”” tanks. I guess life is like the film “”Chocolat.”” You never know what you’re going to get.GRADE: DTHE EXTRASPart of Miramax’s Collector’s Series, the “”Chocolat”” DVD does offer fans of the Oscar-nominated movie a bevy of features for them to peruse when they’ve finally plowed through the film. First up is an informative “”Making Of”” featurette, as well as two shorter features on the costumes created for the film and the movie’s unique production design. The disc also features seven brief deleted scenes, though they contribute very little to the finished product. Hallstrom also sits down for a director’s commentary, though after listening to it, I still am not sure what drove him to this project. Still, there is a lot of background information provided, and that should interest anyone who liked “”Chocolat.””GRADE: BOVERALL EXPERIENCEWhile I can not fault Miramax for their efforts on the “”Chocolat”” DVD, I can not whole-heartedly recommend this film. It was very popular upon its release in 2000, and it did earn a number of Oscar nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture (though many would argue against the ballot-rallying practices of Miramax and Bob and Harvey Weinstein). Still, there is an audience for this film out there, and they will be very happy with this comprehensive disc. Those people who thoroughly enjoyed this emotionless marathon should ignore my final grade.FINAL GRADE: C-By Sean O’ConnellAug. 20, 2001