Chocolat

Director Lasse Hallström followed up The Cider House Rules with this delightful romantic comedy drama, adapted from the novel by Joanne Harris. Set in the late 1950s, it stars Juliette Binoche as a rootless mother who appears overnight in a small French village and brazenly opens a chocolate shop - during Lent. Staunch Catholic mayor Alfred Molina disapproves of her lifestyle and fears the challenge to his authority, but Binoche's confections are soon raising spirits (and more), particularly among the local wives. The arrival of handsome river gypsy Johnny Depp further inflames passions. Hallström skilfully creates a sense of the stifling nature of provincial life, and of a deeper spiritual malaise for which the bewitching Binoche offers a panacea. Watching this is the cinematic equivalent of putting a piece of chocolate in your mouth - a truly delicious experience.