Chocolat (2000)

Chocolat - 2000

Our next film is 2000's "Chocolat", in which a woman and her daughter arrive in a quiet French town and totally transform its populace with her different way of living.

The film's cast includes Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Leslie Caron, Lena Olin, Peter Stormare, Carrie-Anne Moss, Aurelien Parent Koenig, Victoire Thivisol, and Hugh O'Conor.

In a small town in the French countryside, the town population goes about their day to day lives as they always have.

The winds of change arrive and bring Vianne Rocher to the town along with her daughter, Anouk.

She rents out the town patisserie and plans a surprise for the town when she opens up.

The uptight mayor of the town visits her and is very displeased to discover that she's an unwed mother who has moved into their very conservative town.  Another shocking discovery is that she doesn't attend church, a compulsory activity for the town's residents.

Instead of a patisserie, Vianne opens a chocolaterie and all of the townspeople are tempted by the delectable delights on display in the window.  They are afraid to partake as they are in the middle of Lent.

Vianne's chocolate shop begins to transform the lives of the citizens right away.  Monsieur Blerot begins to be bold and approach the object of his affections, Madame Audel.  When he confesses his passion for her to the priest, the cleric is shocked.  "At her age?  At your age?" asks Pere Henri.  "Yes, and yes," comes the timid reply of Monsieur Blerot.

Vianne also starts a friendship with her landlady, Armande.  Cranky and stubborn when they first meet, Armande's defenses come down once she gets a taste of Vianne's special hot chocolate, and a friendship is struck.

And Vianne also helps a battered woman escape a horrible marriage (much to the disgust of the mayor, who believes that the woman should return to her husband).

When a band of itinerant "gypsies" comes to town, Vianne ignites the ire of the mayor by becoming very friendly with their leader, Roux.

She spends a lot of time trying to figure out just what exactly is Roux's favorite kind of chocolate.  He tells her that everything she's offered him is delicious, but none are his favorite.

When Vianne's shop is ransacked and most of the things she's made for an upcoming chocolate festival are destroyed, she is ready to pack it all in and hit the road again.  On her way out, she stops into the kitchen and finds many of her friends recreating what was lost and extending true friendship to her.

And at her chocolate festival, even the mayor comes around and fully accepts Vianne into the community.

She even discovers Roux's favorite kind of chocolate: hot chocolate.

Cast rundown:

   Juliette Binoche................................Vianne Rocher

   Johnny Depp....................................Roux

   Judi Dench.......................................Armande Voizin

   Alfred Molina....................................Comte de Reynaud

   Leslie Caron.....................................Madame Audel

   Lena Olin.........................................Josephine Muscat

   Peter Storemare...............................Serge Muscat

   Carrie-Anne Moss..............................Caroline Clairmont

   Aurelien Parent Koenig.......................Luc Clairmont

   Victoire Thivisol.................................Anouk Rocher

   Hugh O'Conor...................................Pere Henri

And that's it for Chocolat.  Juliette Binoche actually learned how to make chocolate in Paris as part of her training for the film.  Some of the chocolates she made were used in the festival scene.  The film was shot at the village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in France.  About 250 of the townspeople were used as extras in the movie.

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The Three Musketeers (1993)

The Three Musketeers - 1993

Our next feature is 1993's "The Three Musketeers", which follows the story of D'Artagnan and his quest to become a Musketeer.  This Disney version of the story, however, shows a major departure from the storyline.  It is a more simplified version.

The film's cast includes Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, Rebecca De Mornay, Gabrielle Anwar, Julie Delpy, and Hugh O'Conor.

D'Artagnan is a young man from Gascony on his way to Paris to join the Musketeers, like his father before him.  On the way, he gets drawn into a private battle with a former flame's brother.

He flees the battle on horseback and charges full steam ahead for Paris.

Unfortunately, he's too late to join the Musketeers.  They've been officially disbanded so that they can enlist in the coming war against England and the Duke of Buckingham.

On the way to Paris, D'Artagnan meets and falls in love with Constance, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen.

He also has the effrontery to insult three men: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.  All challenge him to a duel, which he accepts.  Porthos is especially ready to teach D'Artagnan some manners.  "This sash was a gift to me from the Queen of America," says Porthos.  "There's no Queen of America," scoffs D'Artagnan.  "I beg to differ, infant," counters Porthos.  "We're on quite intimate terms, unless you can prove otherwise."

In the palace, Cardinal Richelieu catches the Queen alone, unnerving her.  He exploits her loneliness and isolation in her newly adopted country by pretending to get close to her.

When the time for D'Artagnan's duels arrives, he realizes that all three of his opponents are Musketeers.  They are interrupted by the Cardinal's guards, and D'Artagnan assists them in fighting.  Afterwards, the Musketeers leave together and tell D'Artagnan to give up his dream and go home.

When more of the Cardinal's guards show up, they knock D'Artagnan unconscious and have him thrown into the dungeon, where he is questioned by Rochefort, the Cardinal's right hand man.

D'Artagnan escapes and stumbles upon Richelieu and the Countess d'Winter having a secret conversation.

He overhears the Cardinal giving the Countess a treaty which must be signed by the Duke of Buckingham.  She tells him to consider it done.  D'Artagnan also hears that Richelieu intends to take over as King.  Of course, D'Artagnan is again caught and sentenced to death.

He's rescued by the Musketeers, who steal away in Richelieu's carriage, where they find "the Cardinal's sacred snack chamber".

The Musketeers and D'Artagnan ride out to intercept the Countess, but end up in a skirmish with some guards.  D'Artagnan is forced to continue the journey alone.

He passes out from exhaustion along the road, and he is picked up by the Countess d'Winter.

When she questions him about what he is doing in that part of France, he tells her that he's there to intercept a spy and a plot against the king.

She tries to seduce and kill him.  D'Artagnan struggles with her and eventually sees the mark of a criminal on her shoulder (having earlier been warned about her by Athos).

The Musketeers catch up with them and take the treaty from the Countess.  She and Athos have a long talk about their earlier relationship.  He tells her that she is condemned to death and there is nothing he can do.

As they prepare for her execution the next day, the Countess tells Athos what Richelieu's plans are: to assassinate the King at his birthday celebration.

She then jumps over the side of a cliff to her death.  (Note: This is the very first suicide in a Disney movie.)

Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan race back to Paris, leaving a message for all the disbanded Musketeers to muster.

It turns out that Richelieu is indeed planning everything that the Countess d'Winter said.  As the King and Queen step out onto the palace balcony, a marksman prepares to take a shot.  He is interrupted by D'Artagnan, which causes him to miss his mark.

The mustered Musketeers then begin to do battle with the Cardinal's guards for the very soul of France.

Inside the palace, Richelieu holds the King and Queen captive and tells them his plans for taking over the throne.  The fighting makes its way inside the palace.  Eventually, Richelieu is defeated after being knocked out by the King.

After order is restored to the kingdom, D'Artagnan and the Musketeers come before the King.  D'Artagnan is told that he is in the King's debt and deserves a reward.

His greatest wish is to become a Musketeer, and this is granted.  He also gets a kiss from Constance.

D'Artagnan finds that it is "All for one and one for all" when his Musketeer brethren help defend him in that unfinished duel at the beginning of the film.

Cast rundown:

   Charlie Sheen....................................Aramis

   Kiefer Sutherland...............................Athos

   Chris O'Donnell..................................D'Artagnan

   Oliver Platt........................................Porthos

   Tim Curry..........................................Cardinal Richelieu

   Rebecca De Mornay............................Countess d'Winter

   Gabrielle Anwar..................................Queen Anne

   Julie Delpy.........................................Constance

   Hugh O'Conor.....................................King Louis XIII

And that's all for this edition of The Three Musketeers.  Charlie Sheen was originally wanted for the role of Porthos.  Winona Ryder was considered for the role of Countess d'Winter.  Brad Pitt turned down the role of D'Artagnan.  The Musketeers and D'Artagnan (except for Charlie Sheen) had six weeks of riding and fencing lessons.  Charlie Sheen, missing all this training, generally does hand-to-hand combat in the film.

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