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與 其 壓 抑 自 我 不 如 忠 於 情 慾
朱 古 力 的 誘 惑 引 發 意 想 不 到 的 浪 漫 奇 緣
One Taste is all it takes
榮 獲 本 屆 奧 斯 卡 五 項 提 名
最 佳 女 主 角 ． 最 佳 女 配 角 ． 最 佳 電 影
最 佳 改 編 劇 本 ． 最 佳 原 創 配 樂
金 球 獎 四 項 提 名
最 佳 電 影 ( 音 樂 劇 及 喜 劇 組 ) ． 最 佳 原 創 音 樂
最 佳 女 主 角 ( 音 樂 劇 及 喜 劇 組 ) ． 最 佳 女 配 角
英 國 電 影 學 院 頒 獎 禮 八 項 提 名
最 佳 改 編 劇 本 ． 最 佳 女 主 角 ． 最 佳 女 配 角 ( 兩 位 候 選 人 )
最 佳 攝 影 ． 最 佳 服 裝 設 計 ． 最 佳 化 妝 ． 最 佳 美 術 設 計
第 七 屆 美 國 演 員 公 會 三 項 提 名
最 佳 女 主 角 ． 最 佳 女 配 角 ． 最 佳 整 體 演 出
柏 林 影 展 參 賽 作 品
第 53 屆 最 佳 編 劇 獎 提 名
聖 地 牙 哥 影 評 人 協 會 最 佳 改 編 劇 本
The 73rd Annual Academy Awards
Best Leading Actress．Best Supporting Actress．Best Music (Score)
Best Picture．Best Adapted Writing
Golden Globe Awards Nominations
Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)．Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)
Best Supporting Actress．Best Original Score
BAFTA Nominations
Best Adapted Screenplay．Best Actress．Best Supporting Actress (2 nominations)
Best Cinematograph．Best Production Design．Best Costume Design．Best Make-up/Hair
7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations
Best Cast．Best Actress．Best Supporting Actress
Berlin Film Festival
In Competition
53rd Annual Writers Guild Awards Nominee
San Diego Film Critics Association
Best Adapted Screenplay
《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 《 總 有 驕 陽 》 大 導 演 萊 塞 荷 斯 朗 Lassse Hallstrom 再 顯 感 性 才
情
《 別 問 我 是 誰 》 金 像 得 主 茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 (Juliette Binoche)
《 無 頭 谷 》 不 羈 萬 人 迷 尊 尼 特 普 (Johnny Depp)
《 22 世 紀 殺 人 網 絡 》 嘉 莉 安 慕 絲 (Carrie-Anne Moss)
《 小 孤 兒 》 最 年 輕 威 尼 斯 影 展 影 后 維 多 莉 迪 維 素 (Victoire Thivisol) 聯 合 主 演
故 事 大 綱
由 朱 古 力 引 發 的 浪 漫 情 意 結
朱 古 力 可 以 舒 緩 情 緒 ， 可 以 安 撫 憂 鬱 ， 甚 至 可 以 激 發 情 慾 ， 掀 動 無 休 止 的 幻 想 與 誘 惑 ？
西 方 世 代 以 來 ， 對 朱 古 力 可 說 既 鍾 情 、 又 迷 惑 ， 它 大 象 徵 著 快 樂 、 感 性 、 解 放 情 慾 、 反 對 壓 抑 。
《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 的 故 事 發 生 於 法 國 一 個 寧 靜 的 小 鎮 朗 斯 納 鎮 ， 這 個 小 鎮 的 生 活 可 說 一 百 年 來 都 沒 有 多 大 改 變 ， 鎮 上 的 人 安 靜 、 保 守 ， 活 在 喜 樂 慣 於 平 常 的 傳 統 中 。
但 當 一 個 美 麗 寡 婦 慧 安 ( 茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 ) 帶 同 她 的 小 女 兒 阿 娜 ( 維 多 莉 迪 維 素 ) 突 然 移 居 小 鎮 ， 並 在 鎮 上 開 了 一 間 售 賣 各 種 朱 古 力 的 店 舖 後 ， 情 況 忽 然 起 了 一 百 八 十 度 的 轉 變 。
慧 安 所 售 賣 的 朱 古 力 ， 以 神 奇 的 秘 方 與 懾 人 的 味 力 ， 先 後 令 鎮 上 嚐 過 的 人 神 魂 顛 倒 ， 年 老 者 再 度 煥 發 青 春 ， 中 年 夫 婦 再 次 拾 獲 情 慾 歡 樂 ， 從 不 咬 弦 的 鄰 居 變 成 好 朋 友 … … 一 切 都 源 於 慧 安 所 泡 製 的 特 色 朱 古 力 ， 但 慧 安 為 眾 人 帶 來 的 非 常 改 變 ， 也 令 她 觸 怒 了 鎮 中 保 守 的 握 權 派 ， 尤 其 是 雷 伯 爵 ( 艾 佛 莫 連 拿 ) 。 他 認 為 慧 安 售 賣 的 不 單 是 朱 古 力 ， 更 是 令 鎮 民 離 棄 道 德 的 毒 藥 ， 決 意 假 借 民 意 施 壓 ， 誓 要 迫 慧 安 離 去 不 可 。 當 慧 安 心 灰 意 冷 準 備 離 開 之 際 ， 一 個 英 俊 浪 人 陸 克 ( 尊 尼 特 普 ) 忽 然 來 到 鎮 上 ， 並 與 慧 安 結 下 一 段 意 想 不 到 的 緣 份 ， 更 令 慧 安 重 新 振 作 ， 誓 要 迫 逼 她 的 守 舊 勢 力 奮 抗 到 底 ……
《 狗 臉 的 歲 月 》 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 《 總 有 驕 陽 》 導 演 的 一 個 美 麗 寓 言
《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 以 朱 古 力 為 象 徵 ， 帶 出 了 一 個 有 關 感 性 與 戒 律 、 開 放 與 壓 抑 ， 善 與 惡 鬥 爭 的 主 題 ， 影 片 故 事 簡 潔 有 力 ， 人 物 造 型 特 出 ， 充 滿 感 情 ， 秉 承 了 導 演 萊 塞 荷 斯 朗 的 一 貫 溫 馨 風 格 。
觀 眾 如 果 看 過 萊 塞 荷 斯 朗 的 《 狗 臉 的 歲 月 》 、 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 或 《 總 有 驕 陽 》 ， 均 會 覺 得 他 處 理 人 與 人 之 間 的 感 情 充 滿 感 性 。 而 且 溫 馨 有 趣 ， 令 人 看 得 開 懷 ， 例 如 《 狗 臉 的 歲 月 》 自 閉 而 神 奇 的 小 孩 、 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 兄 弟 的 情 誼 、 《 總 有 驕 陽 》 醫 生 與 孤 兒 的 關 係 ， 都 令 人 印 象 難 忘 。 《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 寫 小 鎮 人 心 也 在 平 常 中 滲 透 出 恬 靜 的 魅 力 ， 其 中 母 女 的 感 情 ， 被 壓 抑 的 妻 子 與 粗 暴 丈 夫 的 關 係 、 緊 守 傳 統 冷 面 施 法 的 伯 爵 、 及 浪 子 與 寡 婦 一 觸 即 發 的 戀 情 ， 都 描 寫 得 細 膩 感 人 。 難 得 傳 媒 在 影 片 未 正 式 公 映 前 ， 已 預 測 本 片 必 能 在 金 球 獎 及 奧 斯 卡 中 會 獲 得 提 名 。
尊 尼 特 普 首 度 夥 拍 茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙
《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 人 物 眾 多 ， 飾 演 主 角 慧 安 的 美 麗 寡 婦 一 角 的 ， 是 法 國 著 名 女 星 茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 (Juliette Binoche) ， 她 明 慧 的 外 表 極 其 適 合 演 影 片 中 那 個 謎 一 樣 的 角 色 ， 這 次 是 她 自 《 布 拉 格 之 戀 》 後 再 次 與 另 一 女 主 角 蘭 娜 奧 蓮 (Lena Olin) 合 作 ， 在 《 布 》 片 中 她 倆 曾 飾 演 愛 上 同 一 個 男 人 的 角 色 ， 今 次 在 《 情 》 片 中 ， 蘭 娜 飾 演 一 個 備 受 丈 夫 粗 暴 對 待 的 女 人 ， 幸 得 茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 的 相 助 ， 得 以 重 新 掁 作 起 來 。 本 片 亦 是 導 演 荷 斯 朗 繼 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 後 ， 再 一 次 與 尊 尼 特 普 合 作 ， 《 不 》 片 首 先 捧 紅 了 里 安 納 度 狄 卡 比 奧 ， 亦 令 尊 尼 特 普 成 為 荷 里 活 一 線 小 生 。 尊 尼 特 普 在 《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 中 以 浪 蕩 不 羈 的 形 像 出 現 ， 與 茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 擦 出 火 花 ， 一 見 傾 情 ， 予 人 十 分 好 男 人 的 感 覺 ， 令 他 的 影 迷 喜 出 望 外 。
影 片 其 他 演 員 也 是 大 有 來 頭 ， 包 括 嘉 莉 安 慕 絲 (Carrie-Anne Moss) ， 她 演 過 《 22 世 紀 殺 人 網 絡 》 及 《 宇 宙 深 慌 》 ， 是 現 今 荷 里 活 最 受 歡 迎 的 女 演 員 之 一 。 而 飾 演 慧 安 小 女 兒 的 維 多 莉 迪 維 素 (Victoire Thivisol) ， 年 紀 小 小 ， 但 4 歲 時 已 憑 《 小 孤 星 》 (Ponette) 一 片 贏 得 威 尼 斯 影 展 最 佳 女 主 角 獎 。
茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 ： 愛 上 100% 朱 古 力
「 一 直 以 來 ， 我 都 深 深 愛 上 朱 古 力 ， 我 認 為 它 不 獨 是 一 種 甜 品 ， 更 是 一 種 拉 近 人 與 人 之 間 關 係 的 催 情 劑 ， 它 是 情 緒 、 喜 樂 、 關 懷 的 象 徵 」
茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 未 拍 《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 前 已 是 不 折 不 扣 的 朱 古 力 迷 ， 到 真 要 參 演 這 部 以 朱 古 力 為 題 材 的 電 影 時 ， 更 專 誠 到 法 國 有 名 的 朱 古 力 店 ， 跟 隨 大 師 和 達 班 斯 (Walter Beinz) 學 習 泡 製 神 奇 朱 古 力 的 方 法 ， 並 從 世 界 各 地 搜 羅 有 關 朱 古 力 的 書 籍 ， 從 而 發 現 朱 古 力 竟 是 “ 諸 神 的 美 食 ” 。
「 在 世 界 各 地 均 有 製 造 朱 古 力 的 傳 統 ， 亞 洲 、 非 洲 、 南 非 ， 這 些 國 家 都 有 本 身 泡 製 的 方 法 ， 每 個 地 方 都 有 其 獨 特 味 道 。 」
事 實 上 ， 朱 古 力 有 超 過 五 十 種 泡 製 方 法 ， 視 乎 你 用 甚 麼 材 料 及 以 那 種 溫 度 製 成 。
無 論 以 何 種 材 料 或 形 狀 出 現 ， 每 種 朱 古 力 其 實 都 隱 含 催 化 感 情 的 作 用 ， 正 如 庇 洛 仙 說 ： 「 即 使 你 是 如 何 規 行 矩 步 的 人 ， 只 要 口 中 含 上 一 塊 朱 古 力 ， 你 的 神 經 線 中 自 會 解 放 出 一 種 莫 名 其 妙 的 歡 欣 情 緒 ， 令 所 有 煩 惱 都 可 以 暫 時 拋 諸 腦 後 。 」
童 話 一 樣 的 小 鎮 展 現 魔 幻 魅 力
《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 的 故 事 發 生 在 一 座 童 話 般 的 村 莊 ， 人 們 在 那 裡 出 生 、 生 活 、 年 復 一 年 ， 一 切 從 來 沒 有 重 大 改 變 ， 一 百 年 前 與 今 日 的 分 別 ， 只 有 人 們 的 衣 著 。
電 影 工 作 人 員 遊 歷 四 海 ， 跨 山 越 嶺 ， 終 於 在 美 術 指 導 大 衛 歌 曼 的 靈 犀 指 引 下 ， 發 現 了 法 國 中 世 紀 小 城 花 維 尼 (Flavigny) ， 這 麼 小 城 處 於 布 根 區 往 狄 松 (Dijon) 的 一 隅 ， 城 建 於 十 世 紀 ， 依 山 而 建 ， 遠 望 仿 如 童 話 城 鎮 ， 景 物 美 不 勝 收 ， 令 人 迷 醉 。 而 花 維 尼 出 產 的 糖 果 ， 更 是 名 震 法 國 ， 遙 遙 呼 應 了 電 影 以 朱 古 力 為 故 事 的 童 心 。
花 維 尼 童 話 般 的 美 麗 令 電 影 工 作 人 員 皆 喜 出 望 外 ， 但 小 鎮 中 的 僧 侶 團 體 都 恐 防 拍 攝 隊 會 破 壞 小 鎮 的 寧 靜 ， 並 會 帶 來 日 後 的 騷 擾 ， 此 事 擾 攘 了 一 段 時 候 ， 最 後 幸 得 市 長 及 當 地 最 高 層 教 士 出 面 調 停 ， 影 片 才 能 順 利 得 以 拍 攝 。
導 演
萊 塞 荷 斯 朗 (Lasse Hallstrom)
萊 塞 荷 斯 朗 擅 長 拍 攝 一 些 與 別 不 同 的 人 物 及 故 事 。 去 年 的 《 總 有 驕 陽 》 就 是 一 個 明 顯 的 例 子 。 影 片 描 寫 孤 兒 在 孤 兒 院 長 大 的 過 程 ， 溫 馨 感 人 ， 獲 得 六 項 奧 斯 卡 提 名 ， 米 高 堅 更 憑 此 片 榮 獲 最 佳 男 主 角 獎 。 荷 斯 朗 最 先 以 《 狗 臉 的 歲 月 》 一 片 為 人 認 識 ， 影 片 描 述 一 個 十 二 歲 少 年 的 成 長 歷 程 ， 獲 得 提 名 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 導 演 及 劇 本 獎 ， 紐 約 影 片 人 協 會 更 選 該 片 為 最 佳 外 語 片 。
九 三 年 荷 斯 朗 再 以 少 年 自 閉 為 題 材 ， 拍 出 了 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 ， 結 果 捧 紅 了 里 安 納 度 狄 卡 比 奧 及 尊 尼 特 普 ， 狄 卡 比 奧 更 憑 此 片 獲 提 名 最 佳 男 配 角 獎 。 其 後 荷 斯 朗 有 機 會 執 導 由 茱 莉 亞 羅 拔 絲 主 演 的 《 談 情 說 愛 》 ， 但 票 房 與 評 論 都 不 成 功 ， 直 至 他 重 新 以 少 年 主 角 為 題 材 的 《 總 有 驕 陽 》 ， 他 才 再 放 異 彩 ， 獲 得 空 前 成 功 。
演 員
茱 麗 葉 庇 洛 仙 (Juliette Binoche)
一 九 九 七 年 ， 庇 洛 仙 曾 以 《 別 問 我 是 誰 》 一 片 榮 獲 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 女 配 角 獎 。 在 這 之 前 ， 她 最 有 名 氣 的 電 影 要 數 於 八 七 年 拍 攝 的 《 布 拉 格 之 戀 》 。 影 片 改 編 自 米 蘭 昆 德 拉 小 說 〈 生 命 中 不 能 承 受 的 輕 〉 ， 講 述 共 產 主 義 下 的 浮 生 與 愛 情 ， 深 刻 動 人 。 其 後 他 演 出 了 電 影 大 師 奇 斯 洛 夫 斯 基 的 《 藍 》 ， 優 異 的 演 技 為 她 贏 得 了 威 尼 斯 影 展 最 佳 女 主 角 獎 。 庇 洛 仙 出 身 於 法 國 戲 劇 學 院 ， 首 先 於 高 達 的 《 萬 福 瑪 麗 亞 》 客 串 演 出 ， 繼 後 以 《 情 陷 夜 巴 黎 》 一 片 嶄 露 頭 角 ， 代 表 作 品 還 包 括 《 虎 父 無 犬 子 》 、 《 愛 情 重 傷 》 及 《 愛 在 天 地 蒼 茫 時 》 等 。
| 代 表 作 品 : | 《 別 問 我 是 誰 》 (English Patient, The), 《 藍 白 紅 三 部 曲 之 藍 》 (Bleu), 《 新 橋 之 戀 》 (Lovers On The Bridge), 《 愛 情 重 傷 》 (Damage), 《 生 活 中 不 可 承 受 的 輕 》 (Unbearable Lightness of Being, The), 《 情 陷 夜 巴 黎 》 (Rendez-vous) |
一 九 九 七 年 憑 《 別 問 我 是 誰 》 獲 頒 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 女 配 角 、
柏 林 影 展 最 佳 女 主 角 及 其 他 多 個 獎 項 。
尊 尼 特 普 Johnny Depp
被 譽 為 荷 里 活 最 性 感 男 星 之 一 ， 以 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 成 名 ， 與 名 導 演 添 布 頓 合 作 了 三 部 備 受 爭 議 的 電 影 包 括 《 幻 海 奇 緣 》 、 《 艾 活 傳 》 及 《 無 頭 谷 》 。 他 的 最 新 作 品 是 由 波 蘭 斯 基 導 演 的 《 魔 鬼 手 記 》 ， 其 他 出 色 作 品 還 包 括 《 天 生 愛 情 狂 》 、 《 忠 奸 人 》 及 《 兩 顆 絕 望 的 心 》 。
尊 尼 特 普 除 演 戲 外 ， 還 是 音 樂 人 ， 曾 為 樂 隊 Oasis 伴 奏 結 他 ， 並 出 過 兩 張 專 輯 。
| 代 表 作 品 : | 《 魔 鬼 手 記 》 (Ninth Gate, The), 《 無 頭 谷 》 (Sleepy Hollow), 《 天 外 魔 種 》 (Astronaut's Wife, The), 《 忠 奸 人 》 (Donnie Brasco), 《 千 鈞 一 髮 》 (Nick of Time), 《 天 生 愛 情 狂 》 (Don Juan DeMarco), 《 艾 活 傳 》 (Ed Wood), 《 鬼 馬 俏 紅 娘 》 (Benny & Joon), 《 不 一 樣 的 天 空 》 (What ’ s Eating Gilbert Grape), 《 幻 海 奇 緣 》 (Edward Scissorhands) |
茱 迪 丹 芝 Judi Dench
在 《 情 迷 朱 古 力 》 中 飾 演 性 格 開 明 的 祖 母 ， 茱 迪 丹 芝 再 次 展 現 精 嶄 動 人 的 演 技 。 去 年 ， 她 憑 《 寫 我 深 情 》 一 片 贏 得 了 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 女 配 角 獎 及 英 國 演 藝 學 院 最 佳 女 配 角 獎 ， 並 獲 演 員 工 會 及 金 球 獎 提 名 ， 加 上 年 前 憑 《 皇 室 別 戀 》 一 片 所 贏 得 的 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 女 主 角 提 名 ， 令 茱 迪 丹 芝 成 為 英 國 近 年 獎 譽 最 隆 的 女 星 。
在 電 影 、 電 視 、 戲 劇 各 方 面 都 有 卓 越 成 就 的 丹 芝 ， 最 為 人 熟 悉 的 ， 恐 怕 是 她 在 數 部 鐵 金 剛 影 片 中 的 演 出 ， 包 括 《 金 眼 睛 》 、 《 明 日 帝 國 》 及 《 黑 日 危 機 》 ， 她 飾 演 的 M 博 士 ， 是 英 國 家 傳 戶 曉 的 人 物 。
| 代 表 作 品 : | 《 皇 室 別 戀 》 (Mrs. Brown), 《 寫 我 深 情 》 (Shakespeare in Love), 《 新 鐵 金 剛 之 明 日 帝 國 》 (Tomorrow Never Dies), 《 新 鐵 金 剛 之 黑 日 危 機 》 (World Is Not Enough), 《 新 鐵 金 剛 之 金 眼 睛 》 (Goldeneye), 《 哈 姆 雷 特 》 (Hamlet, 1996), 《 享 利 五 世 》 (Henry V) |
一 九 九 七 年 《 皇 室 別 戀 》 英 國 影 后
一 九 九 八 年 《 寫 我 深 情 》 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 女 配 角
蘭 娜 奧 蓮 Lena Olin
同 樣 曾 演 出 《 布 拉 格 之 戀 》 ， 並 以 該 片 贏 得 金 球 獎 最 佳 女 配 角 提 名 。 她 的 特 點 是 外 冷 內 熱 ， 渾 身 散 發 包 不 住 的 性 感 ， 她 曾 與 加 利 奧 文 合 作 《 血 在 燒 》 ， 最 新 作 品 還 包 括 與 尊 尼 特 普 合 作 的 《 魔 鬼 手 記 》 。
| 代 表 作 品 : | 《 魔 鬼 手 記 》 (Ninth Gate, The), 《 血 在 燒 》 (Romeo is Bleeding), 《 夜 襲 曼 克 頓 》 (Night Falls on Manhattan), 《 偽 情 半 生 》 (Enemies, A Love Story) |
一 九 八 九 年 《 偽 情 半 生 》 奧 斯 卡 最 佳 女 配 角 提 名
嘉 莉 安 慕 絲 Carrie-Anne Moss
以 《 22 世 紀 殺 人 網 絡 》 成 名 ， 現 正 準 備 參 予 其 續 集 的 演 出 。 安 慕 絲 最 先 以 模 特 兒 的 姿 態 ， 穿 梭 於 歐 洲 及 日 本 工 作 ， 在 西 班 牙 期 間 ， 她 為 電 視 台 演 出 劇 集 開 始 為 人 認 識 。 其 後 她 轉 移 陣 地 到 洛 杉 磯 繼 續 演 出 工 作 ， 終 於 憑 《 22 世 紀 殺 人 網 絡 》 一 片 大 紅 。 最 新 演 出 是 安 東 尼 荷 夫 曼 的 《 宇 宙 深 慌 》 。
維 多 莉 迪 維 素 Victoire Thivisol
年 紀 只 有 九 歲 ， 卻 於 四 歲 時 ， 演 出 法 國 導 演 積 葵 杜 倫 的 《 小 孤 兒 》 一 片 ， 飾 演 一 個 喪 母 後 從 不 說 話 滿 臉 哀 傷 的 小 女 孩 。 結 果 一 鳴 驚 人 ， 成 為 威 尼 斯 影 展 中 有 史 以 來 最 年 輕 的 影 后 。
其 他 載 譽 演 員
| 艾 佛 莫 連 拿 (Alfred Molina) |
《 異 種 》 (Species), 《 人 生 交 叉 剔 》 (Magnolia), 《 一 舉 成 名 》 (Boogie Nights), 《 離 魂 異 客 》 (Dead Man), 《 賭 俠 馬 華 力 》 (Maverick) |
|
| 羅 拔 卡 萊 爾 (Robert Carlyle) | 《 沙 灘 小 子 》 (Beach, The), 《 新 鐵 金 剛 之 黑 日 危 機 》 (World Is Not Enough), 《 神 父 同 志 》 (Priest) |
SYNOPSIS
CHOCOLAT is a comic fable about how just one taste of life's pleasures can change a person, a relationship, a town. This is a tale of temptation, repression and the liberating powers of the senses – the comedic story of an escalating small-town war sparked by the passions and fears aroused by the arrival of a mysterious chocolate shop.
It all begins in the traditional French village of Lansquenet, where life has not changed for the last 100 years. As the North Wind blows through a seemingly tranquil town, it carries with it a traveler Vianne Rocher (JULIETTE BINOCHE) and her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol). Vianne is an outsider who opens a chocolaterie filled with irresistible confections that awaken the townspeople's hidden appetites. But, her magical ability to perceive the villager's private desires, and satisfy them with just the right confection, slowly persuades a few to abandon themselves to her temptations.
Soon, Vianne develops a reputation . . . and an enemy: the righteous local nobleman the Comte de Reynaud (ALFRED MOLINA). Reynaud is convinced that Vianne's sumptuous chocolate will wreak havoc with the town and undermine their strict code of morality. Between them, they set off a confrontation between those who would keep life the same and those who would revel in their newly discovered taste for freedom.
Along the way, Vianne has a profound effect on the village's inhabitants, including the 70 year-old libertine Armande (JUDI DENCH) and her estranged daughter Caroline (CARRIE-ANNE MOSS); the long-suffering Josephine Muscat (LENA OLIN) and her brutish husband Serge (PETER STORMARE); and another unusual outsider, the riverboat traveler Roux (JOHNNY DEPP), who awakens Vianne's own secret desire: to truly belong.
CHOCOLAT is directed by Lasse Hallstrom ("The Cider House Rules") and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs from the acclaimed novel by Joanne Harris. The producers are David Brown, Kit Golden and Leslie Holleran. The executive producers are Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Alan C. Blomquist and Meryl Poster. Mark Cooper is the co-producer.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Chocolate, I am told, is not a moral issue.
-- Vianne Rocher
In a small town where life has been the same for 100 years, a war is about to break out between the tranquility of tradition and the fear of change. The shock of the new, the excitement of letting go, the dangers of denying people joy and the temptations of intolerance are aroused by a chocolaterie's delectable sweets in CHOCOLAT, a comic fable about the magical power of indulging in pleasure. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom, CHOCOLAT is itself a richly layered confection, the tale of several interconnected villagers whose comical confrontations and misbegotten dreams become a moving exploration of tolerance and personal liberation. The film features an all-star ensemble cast including Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare and Victoire Thivisol.
At the center of CHOCOLAT is a woman charged with special powers: Vianne Rocher, a mysterious outsider who arrives in the French village of Lansquenet to open a chocolaterie featuring luscious candies that can, in addition to tantalizing the tongue, cure lost hopes and awaken unexpected emotions.
Vianne's effect is immediate and extraordinary: the elderly find themselves recalling young love, troubled couples regain their spark and sniping neighbors become happy friends. But Vianne's sumptuous candies also arouse something else: an escalating battle between passion and moral indignation. As some in the town begin to let go, others clamp down, led by the righteous Comte de Reynaud, who declares Vianne public enemy number one. Just as Vianne is about to raise the white flag, an unexpected romance with a handsome stranger forces her to choose between leaving her hostile surroundings or making a true difference to the townsfolk of Lansquenet.
The battles the free-spirited Vianne undertakes in the name of living life without denial first came to the fore in Joanne Harris's acclaimed, mouthwatering novel Chocolat. Critics and readers alike were swept up by the novel's dramatic use of chocolate as a metaphor for the liberating powers of pleasure. One of those drawn to Harris's tale was director Lasse Hallstrom, who most recently undertook the screen adaptation of John Irving's The Cider House Rules, garnering critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations, including two Academy Award wins. Hallstrom saw at the heart of Harris's unusual fable a quality he always looks for in his cinematic stories: a celebration of the funny, eccentric and wonderfully unpredictable ways human beings behave with one another.
Hallstrom also found himself enchanted by the story's exploration of life's most delectable moments – and how they arise from the bitter, the dark and the semi-sweet. Ultimately, he saw the fable's moral as a call for tolerance, not just tolerance for indulgent pleasures like chocolate but a deeper appreciation for the wide expanse of human foibles and quirks.
"To me, CHOCOLAT is a very funny fable about temptation and the importance of not denying oneself the good things in life," says Hallstrom. "It's about the constant conflict in life between tradition and change. And at its very center it is about intolerance and the consequences of not letting other people live out their own lives and beliefs."
Hallstrom was particularly intrigued by the story's multi-layered tone, which has the magical essence of a fairy-tale, yet presents a series of characters whose emotions and concerns – from marital mistakes to family dishonesties -- are palpably, often humorously, real. "I was interested in the broad range of elements in this story: the dramatic, comedic, at times farcical, the poetic, a comic fable that doesn't simplify its character portraits but is rooted in reality."
Hallstrom continues: "I think a noticeable common thread in all my movies is a fascination with depicting human irrationality in all its wondrous, endearing forms. CHOCOLAT offered the opportunity to explore yet another set of character eccentricities. In this story, the characters are full of contradictions and therefore come alive and enter our hearts. The heroine of the story is Vianne, a truly free spirit but at the same time a prisoner to her destiny. Her nemesis, the Comte de Reynaud, appears in control but is a prisoner to his sense of tradition. The Comte de Reynaud looks through the town and sees sinners and failures; Vianne sees only human beings with flaws that might be forgiven."
Everyone involved with CHOCOLAT saw the involvement of Lasse Hallstrom as a pitch-perfect match. Produder Kit Golden notes: "When David Brown and I first read the novel, we immediately thought of both Lasse as director and Juliette as Vianne Rocher. To actually get them was a dream come true!"
"It seemed to all of us that this was a great story for Lasse because he always has so much fun bringing rich characters to life," says executive producer Alan C. Blomquist. "And that's what this story is all about – a wonderful collection of characters who abandon themselves to temptation and emerge renewed."
Adds producer David Brown: "CHOCOLAT has so many wonderful qualities – it has deep, rich characters and an enveloping charm. It's unlike any other story. But most of all, it has the essence of a fable, and yet, it tells the truth."
JUST ONE TASTE: THE STORY OF CHOCOLAT
Writer Robert Nelson Jacobs found himself descending deeper and deeper into a chocoholic haze as he worked on the adaptation of CHOCOLAT, for which he conducted intensive research into the history, mystical legacies and myths surrounding chocolate. (Despite his cardiologist brother's warnings, Jacobs felt that he had to sample the wide range of chocolate's exultant effects -- for authenticity's sake, of course.) But the more Jacobs savored the chocolate, the more he was drawn into the story's rich center and its insights into human desires and the destructive impulses of repression and bigotry.
Jacobs decided from the beginning that his priority would be to get the mix of CHOCOLAT's elements exactly right, blending comedy, sensuality and dramatic confrontation with a hint of something mysterious in the recipe as well. "I was very drawn to the charm and the magic in the story, to the mixture of wit and wisdom," says Jacobs. "I wanted to strike a real balance between the humor, the dramatic surprises and most of all the real emotional honesty of the characters."
He continues: "I felt that CHOCOLAT was, at its heart, the story of how Vianne gives people faith in themselves and how, in turn, they give that gift back to her. It's not just the story of how Vianne changes Lansquenet but how Lansquenet changes Vianne."
Jacobs also wanted to present each of the townsfolk of Lasquenet as real, flesh-and-blood human beings, each filled with strengths and foibles of their own – the heroes fallible, the villains compassionate. His vision of Lansquenet was of a fable-like town populated by very human troubles and triumphs.
Jacobs did make one major change from the novel, which places the town's priest at the center of the battle with Vianne. Jacobs instead turned Reynaud from a priest into a nobleman – and turned the town's priest into a mere pawn in Reynaud's machinations. Explains producer Leslie Holleran: "In Bob Jacobs' script, the conflict between Vianne and Reynaud goes beyond church versus chocolate to something more universal. It becomes a conflict between a woman who blows in on the wind and a man who believes in tradition, rigidity, control and piety. This was an inspired and surprising bit of writing that really resonates in a global way. It's a testament to Bob Jacobs' inventiveness that he took the ideas of the novel and gave them even more scope. And of course the humor and humanity of the Comte De Reynaud really appeals to Lasse Hallstrom's style."
"What's wonderful about the script is that it could translate into any society in the world at any time period," notes David Brown. "It is a written as a story that people of all ages can enjoy but it has a real cutting edge to it."
Robert Jacobs also deepened the historical aspects of CHOCOLAT, delving into the myth-laden history of chocolate among Mexico's lost Mayan Indian civilization. Comments Joanne Harris, author of the novel: "I loved Bob Jacobs' script, and I thought he did a very nice job of interpreting the essence of the book in a way that comes alive at the movies."
SENSUALISTS AND NAY-SAYERS: THE TOWNSFOLK OF LANSQUENET
From the beginning, the only person Lasse Hallstrom could envision as the mystical, mysterious single mother Vianne Rocher was Juliette Binoche. "Juliette was always the first choice for us and it was an absolute treat to have this chance to work with her," he says. "Her character is the center of the story, and Vianne must stand for kindness, tolerance and the free-spiritedness of love. Juliette is able to capture this because her approach to her work is to always be emotionally present in the scene. She respects the camera and knows just how little you need to convey a deep emotion. I think she was really able to expand in this role, which is different from anything she's done before."
Juliette Binoche was drawn not only to the character of Vianne, but by the power of the unique mother/daughter relationship between Vianne and her imaginative daughter Anouk, who has grown weary of her mother's persistent travels. "Vianne is a wanderer, and she expects to always keep moving," observes Binoche. "But I don't think she necessarily wants this life. It is pattern inside her and she can't yet pull herself away from it. She has an enormous struggle inside her that many people face: between the way her life was as a child, and the way she wants to live now. It's something we all struggle with – to break from our parents and our past and live our own lives."
She continues: "Despite these conflicts, there is something very essential and pure to the relationship between Vianne and Anouk. It comes from the guts, from the inside and is based on love."
Binoche was also intrigued by Vianne's more magical side – to which she ascribes a rational explanation. "Vianne's magic actually comes from believing that people can change and be happy. Her magic is about liberating people and making them believe in who they are. That really interested me."
Indeed, as Binoche plays Vianne, her powers are just as psychological as they are psychic. But what Vianne doesn't see for a very long time is how the town works its own magic on her. "She spends so much time giving people what they need, that when they give her something back, it comes as a complete surprise," explains Binoche. "Vianne sells small dreams and small comforts that add up to transformation in people's live. But without knowing it, they are able to transform hers just as much."
One of the characters Vianne transforms most dramatically is Josephine, played by Lena Olin. Olin and Binoche previously worked together in Phillip Kaufman's acclaimed "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," and their acclaimed chemistry as complex female friends is captured again in CHOCOLAT. "‘Unbearable Lightness' was a long time ago and people change, but we still had a real connection," notes Binoche. "It was a great pleasure to work together again."
Lena Olin also happens to be the wife of director Lasse Hallstrom, and CHOCOLAT marks the first time they have worked together on a major feature film. "It was dream-like to work with her," says Hallstrom. "I knew it would be easy and comfortable but I never expected it would be such a high. Seeing her at work and having the give-and-take of ideas was a real kick and an inspiration to us both."
Hallstrom adds: "The role of Josephine is wonderful for Lena because it is so multi-layered and she's great at portraying characters who have a range of qualities. Josephine is eccentric and sensitive but she's also very strong. Lena honors these contradictions and unites them."
The mortal enemy of Josephine's awakening becomes the Comte De Reynaud, who rules the small town of Lansquenet with an abiding sense of moral rigidity. But, as Alfred Molina plays Reynaud, there is much more to him than authority and piety. "Reynaud probably goes through the most cathartic experience in the whole story," says Molina. "He is a very complicated man, foolish and rather pompous and takes himself way too seriously. He sees Vianne as this wild creature who threatens his patriarchy. And yet, Vianne and her chocolate unlocks the possibility for change."
Molina particularly saw the humor at the core of Reynaud's humorless lifestyle – and the ways in which his true self comes to the fore. "I find him quite comical, especially because he chooses to go to war over chocolate," says the actor. "Reynaud can't stand that Vianne is happy and he is deeply suspicious of her. Something in her, the freedom and the joy she brings to people, really frightens him."
Says producer Leslie Holleran of the Comte de Reynaud: "It's a great part because it allows the actor to be at once comical and powerful. Reynaud is both the foil and the person who gets totally unraveled in the end. Alfred Molina worked wonderfully because he truly has the ability to be both frightening and funny at the same time. To watch him work is to see a color wheel of possibilities: sometimes dark and heavy, sometimes very comedic, covering the whole spectrum."
In the town of Lansquenet, the Comte de Reynaud's austerity is balanced out by the eccentricity of Armande, an elder town figure. Armande is one of the first of the townsfolk to be taken in by Vianne's charms, and becomes her champion. One of the most acclaimed actresses of today, Judi Dench, gives another many-hued performance as Armande, playing her as a woman with a crusty sense of independence and a grand sense of humor.
Says Dench: "I think Armande is a bit of a witch who sees in Vianne a reflection of herself. Like everybody else in the story, Armande is caught up by Vianne's ability to create change. What I loved about the film is that it's about the lifting of spirits – not to mention that I got to eat and drink enormous amounts of chocolate!"
"Armande is one of true centers of the story," adds Holleran, "and Judi Dench filled us with awe in her portrayal – she was so smooth, so effortless, so dead on emotionally. She can turn anything into a magical moment."
Another source of CHOCOLAT's magic comes from the romance Vianne has with the vagabond traveler Roux, played by Johnny Depp in a role he has rarely been seen in -- the film's romantic lead. Depp was drawn both to the film's iconoclastic love story and to a second chance to work with Lasse Hallstrom, with whom he previously collaborated on "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" "I would do just about anything Lasse asked of me," admits Depp, "but this was such a beautiful story, such a beautifully written script. And it fits so well with Lasse and his interest in telling stories that actually try to say something in an entertaining, funny and different way."
Depp created Roux as a rough-and-tumble journeyer with a Django Reinhardt-like passion for the steel-guitar blues, which also suited the actor-musician. "He's the kind of guy who lands his boat in a village and busks for awhile, then moves on," Depp explains. "I thought Roux would be really into old blues, and this is the first time I've actually played the guitar on film." (Depp notes that he mimed his guitar lines for "Cry Baby.") Inspiring Depp throughout was Juliette Binoche, of whom he says: "She's so beautiful and deep, she makes you fall instantly in love with her. She's an intensely committed actress and if art is possible in cinema, I think she comes as close as anyone can."
For Lasse Hallstrom, Depp brought "a wonderful presence and a true leading man quality." "I'm always impressed by what he does," says the director. "His choices are always very tasteful and very accurate and beyond that, he is a wonderful, kind man."
Roux's antithesis in Lansquenet can be found in Josephine's brutish husband Serge, whose crude and primitive impulses are brought to the fore in the battle against Vianne. Serge is played by Peter Stormare, best known for his unforgettable role as the cold-blooded killer in "Fargo," who had the unusual challenge of playing husband to the director's real-life wife, Lena Olin. "Thankfully, as a fellow Swede, Lena and I have a history together performing in plays at drama school, so it was all quite professional," laughs Stormare. Stormare was intrigued by the tragic part Serge plays in the town's reaction to Vianne. "I've never played anyone like Serge before," he says. "He's such a sad character. Not really evil, I think, but sad. Once, he had it all, but alcohol killed that."
Adds Leslie Holleran: "Everyone who's seen ‘Fargo' knows that there can't be a scarier person than when Peter locks in with that stare. But people haven't seen the other side of Peter: his comic timing. The role could easily have been played in a one-note fashion, but Peter creates a child-like, fanciful character and brings a whole new perspective and layer to his story."
In addition to the complexities of his own character, Stormare was intrigued by the big picture of CHOCOLAT. "To me, it is a story about what happens whenever an exotic wind blows into a town," he explains. "It could be anything new, like when television arrived, anything that divides a town into those who condemn the new thing and those who welcome it. In this way, the story, which is so entertaining, is really a metaphor about life and society."
Equally drawn to that metaphor was Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays Armande's estranged daughter Caroline, who also happens to be the Comte De Reynaud's ally in the war against the chocolate shop. "I just loved the mix of magic and truth in the story," says Moss. She describes her character as a woman who "lives a life of extreme control." "Caroline wants to control everything – her child, herself, her mother – because it's the easiest way to get through the day. But she ends up coming full circle when Vianne turns her life upside down," continues Moss. "She learns to let go for a minute and experience the freedom and lightness of that."
Perhaps the most innocent character in CHOCOLAT is Vianne's troubled young daughter Anouk, played by Victoire Thivisol who made history by winning the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival at the age of four, for her moving role in "Ponette."
"Victoire's a very Lasse kind of child in that there's something wise about her," notes Holleran. "Lasse's children are always old souls. They are jubilant, naive, unmannered and unpretentious, yet you also know that they are about to change your perspective on the world. The camera loves Victoire, and reveals both a kind of wisdom and the giddy playfulness of a child."
Thivisol refers to Anouk as a "funny, tricky little girl just like me." She adds: "I loved working with Lasse. He's so sweet and nice and he listened to my ideas."
Another young actor who makes his feature film debut in CHOCOLAT is Aurelien Parent Koenig, who plays the role of lonely Luc, Armande's tormented grandson. Says Judi Dench of Koenig, "He brings a wonderful kind of boyish energy. He has a natural curiosity in every part of life that is always marvelous in an actor. He's terrific."
Summarizes Leslie Holleran: "Lasse's approach to actors is always the same, no matter their age. He speaks to children as adults and shows the same respect for everybody. In a sense, he sees the childishness in grown ups and the grown-up wisdom in children, both of which play a huge role in CHOCOLAT."
A CHOCOLATE INITIATION
Like the characters in CHOCOLAT, chocolate itself takes on many different characteristics as the tale deepens: it can be devilish in its allure, compel blissful joy or comfort harrowing sorrows. Throughout, it is a catalyst for change, and because of that it becomes a danger and a threat to the status quo. To better understand the ways in which chocolate has long been associated with both power and pleasure, Juliette Binoche literally became a student of the dark, bitter and semi-sweet, heading off to chocolate cooking school.
"I have always loved chocolate but in CHOCOLAT, chocolate becomes more than just a sweet taste. It becomes a gesture towards others or towards yourself, a sort of compassion. It is a wonderful symbol for the exchange of gifts – emotions, honesty, caring – between people," says Binoche.
Binoche journeyed to several highly regarded French chocolateries and studied with the chocolate specialist Walter Bienz in preparation for playing the chocolate magician Vianne. She also sampled confections from the four corners of the earth, and read about chocolate's Mayan origins as the "food of the gods."
"In the beginning I asked Joanne Harris why she had chosen chocolate as Vianne's method and she explained that it has a long history as something that has been shared around the world," says Binoche. "This interested me. There is chocolate in Asia, Africa and South America, yet I discovered each tastes a little different, and each seems to bring its own special energy."
Consultant Walter Bienz concurs. "I have always believed chocolate has power. It is certainly an aphrodisiac and it can bring emotions to the fore – after all, everyone goes a little mad for chocolate." Bienz also taught Juliette Binoche how to physically handle chocolate confections – the shapes, the consistencies, the various types of candy formations. "There are at least fifty different types of chocolate and what you create depends on what you use and at what temperature," notes Bienz. "There is a real art to it."
Binoche immediately took to stirring, heating and testing. "I so enjoyed working with the chocolate," she admits. "There's a fascination in seeing these dark, fluid rivers of chocolate and knowing how to turn them into all kinds of different delights."
"Walter Bienz gave us all a sense of how sensual the experience of chocolate can be," adds Leslie Holleran. "He quite literally swoons for the subject and is philosophical about it. You come away from talking with him thinking chocolate can change your life. You feel like popping this magical candy into your mouth is going to set you free."
A MAGICALLY REAL TOWN: FORGING LANSQUENET
CHOCOLAT takes place in a fairy tale village where the patterns of people's lives were established long before they were born and have changed little from year-to-year, until Vianne Rocher arrives and shatters the tranquil veneer. To capture the essence of what Vianne finds in tiny, charmed Lansquenet, the filmmakers of CHOCOLAT wanted to create a village that would come off as "magically real" -- in other words, they wanted a fable-like town that actually exists, a place with outer charm yet viscerally dark corners within.
After searching the nooks and crannies of Europe's backroads, production designer David Gropman happened upon the medieval French town of Flavigny. Near to Dijon in the Burgundy region, Flavigny dates back to the 10th century. Here, Gropman found a picturesque village set atop a hill, with streams flowing down three sides. But that's not all he found. It turns out Flavigny's main industry is the manufacture of Anis de Flavigny candies, which are renowned around France.
"I liked Flavigny because it wasn't too sugar-coated and prettified, yet it had magic to it," says Gropman. "Wandering through it, I loved the geography the relationship of the buildings. It seemed to perfectly fit the design concept Lasse and I had discussed: emphasizing a simplicity of story-storytelling and the most honest expression."
Another unique aspect of Flavigny was its timelessnes. Explains producer David Brown: "When you look out at the countryside here, there are no billboards, no high-rises, no road side businesses. All you see are horses, cows, lambs and real people in an enchanted village. It's an extraordinary atmosphere in which to tell a story."
Given this simple slate upon which to draw, Gropman worked closely with Lasse Hallstrom putting together a notebook of photographs, drawings and illustrations that might capture the very special visual look and feel of the film. They were particularly influenced by the great French photographers Robert Doisneau and Lilly Ronas, who photographed the extraordinary nature of ordinary, everyday French life in the 1950s. "There are some great photos of village life in that period. We also had some photos of street festivals in small towns which we were able to completely recreate for the Festival Du Chocolat," says Gropman.
Hallstrom was particularly impressed with David Gropman's ability to bring a sense of the mystical to Vianne's chocolaterie. "David really brings to life the feeling of cocoa's ancient, Mayan legacy and its magical qualities through the design of Vianne's shop and even the look of the chocolates," says the director. "I really have to hand it to him. The coming to life of Lansquenet is his handiwork."
"You walk onto his sets and feel as if a storybook has been brought to life," summarizes Carrie-Anne Moss, who plays the Lansquenet villager Caroline. "They were so beautiful they almost seemed like they had been enchanted by a little of Vianne's magic."
Filming in Flavigny stirred up its own small-town controversies, including a group of monks who had fears about the film's theme of seeking pleasure in this world rather than waiting for the promise of a better one. "Luckily, the mayor and the local priest were both very incredibly supportive and mustered a lot of good will among the locals," notes Alan Blomquist. "The priest even wrote a very funny letter to the monks explaining to them that a film can't be judged just by the script but has to do with the casting, the editing and the execution. We were lucky to have such a cinephile priest!"
Later, when the production had temporarily renovated the town square of Flavigny to become Lansquenet, the cast and crew invited the townsfolk to a party, letting them wander through the fictionalized set. "It was a wonderful experience to see the community of Flavigny take their evening strolls through town with their cameras – looking at their home town in a new way. Several older residents said it recalled the feeling of their youth," notes Gropman. "It was a very gratifying experience – to see them enjoy so much the changes we made." Kit Golden adds: "We made it snow in Flavigny in May! All of the townspeople came out to watch. It was truly a magical moment."
In addition to Flavigny, scenes were shot in the West Country of England. A number of locations were used, including Bruton for Armande's farmhouse, the manor at Brympton D'Eversy for Reynaud's house and Fonthill Bishop for the river scenes.
The remainder of the shoot took place in Shepperton Studios in Twickenham, England, where the town square at Flavigny was rebuilt and most of the interiors were shot – including the chocolate shop, the shop kitchen and Vianne's apartment. David Gropman literally made a rubber cast of the fronts of Flavigny's buildings and carried it back to England in order to forge a perfect reproduction. "It was amazing," says producer Kit Golden. "We walked onto the stage on the first day of shooting at Shepperton and felt we were right back in France." Adds Lasse Hallstrom: "Every wrinkle in every stone is an exact replica of the real town. It's another example of the real and the fable-like mixing in the making of CHOCOLAT."
Throughout the shoot, Lasse Hallstrom attempted to blur the line between myth and emotion, fable and funny human truths. To accomplish this visually, he worked closely with cinematographer Roger Pratt, who was recently Oscar-nominated for his evocatively stylized work on "The End of the Affair."
"Roger Pratt supported the poetic tone of the film by creating images that have a sort of dreamy, nostalgic feeling to them without resorting to sepia tones," states Hallstrom. "He really has the ability to bring you back and put you in another time and place without any sentimentality or cuteness. The look transports you to a realm where these funny, magical events might be possible and where the characters' humanity can be believed."
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE
It seems that long before Vianne Rocher entered the picture, chocolate has been a factor in the battle between life's pleasures and those who would deny them. The real-life history of chocolate is filled with contradictory rumors and fairytales. There are those who have spoken of chocolate's mystical powers and healing qualities, and yet chocolate has also incited repression, moral judgements and even political banishment. Screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs delved into this rich and pungent history in order to give the character of Vianne a legacy steeped in mystery – a legacy that goes all the way back to the Mayan Indians and a tree bearing a fruit known as "the food of the gods." Below are some highlights from this intricate history:
ABOUT THE CAST
Juliette Binoche (Vianne Rocher)
Juliette Binoche stars as Vianne Rocher, who blows into a little French village on the mischievous north wind and opens a chocolate shop that sparks an escalating war between passion and moral indignation.
Binoche won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Anthony Minghella's "The English Patient," co-starring with Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas. Prior to that, Binoche came to international attention starring with Lena Olin and Daniel Day Lewis in Philip Kaufman's acclaimed "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." A long-time collaborator of director Krysztof Kieslowski, she starred in each segment of his "Three Colors" trilogy winning, among other awards, the Cesar, the Felix Award and the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her role in "Blue" as a composer facing the loss of her husband and child.
After studying at the French Conservatory, Juliette Binoche was given her first major film role by Jean Luc Godard in "Hail Mary." She went to star in Andre Techine's "Rendez-vous" and Leo Carax's recently rediscovered "The Lovers on the Bridge." Other roles include Carax's "Bad Blood," Louis Malle's "Damage" with Jeremy Irons, Jean-Paul Rappeneau's "The Horseman on the Roof" and Peter Kosminsky's "Wuthering Heights" with Ralph Fiennes.
Binoche most recently was seen in Diane Kury's "Les Enfants du Siecle" and Andre Techine's "Alice and Martin." Her other recent projects include Patrice Leconte's "The Widow of Saint Pierre" with Daniel Auteiul and Michael Haneke's "Code Unknown." Last year, Binoche made her London stage debut in the Almeida production of Pirandello's "Naked."
Lena Olin (Josephine Muscat)
Lena Olin plays Josephine, the first person in Lansquenet who dares to change her life. Olin last collaborated with Juliette Binoche on Philip Kaufman's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Her most recent film credits include Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" with Johnny Depp, Kinka Usher's "Mystery Men," Theresa Connelly's "Polish Wedding" and Sidney Lumet's "Night Falls on Manhattan." She will next be seen in "Ignition" with Bill Pullman and "The Queen of the Damned" based on the Anne Rice novel.
Olin previously was nominated for an Academy Award and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress starring in Paul Mazursky's "Enemies: A Love Story" with Ron Silver and Anjelica Huston. Her other film credits include Peter Medak's "Romeo Is Bleeding," Mike Figgis' "Mr. Jones" with Richard Gere and Sydney Pollack's "Havana" with Robert Redford.
Born in Sweden, Olin's career started at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm where she was directed by Ingmar Bergman, playing in the classics of Shakespeare, Ibsen and Strindberg. She made her international debut as a movie actress in Bergman's "After The Rehearsal" and went on to appear in his "Fanny and Alexander."
Johnny Depp (Roux)
Johnny Depp stars as Roux, a gypsy player traveling through France who presents Vianne with the first puzzle she cannot solve. Depp previously collaborated with Lasse Hallstrom giving an acclaimed performance in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis. Depp has also joined with director Tim Burton several times on "Sleepy Hollow," "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood," garnering Golden Globe nominations for the latter two films. Depp's most recent credits include Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate." He will next be seen in Sally Potter's "The Man Who Cried," Ted Demme's "Blow" and Terry Gilliam's "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote."
Depp also directed, co-wrote (with his brother D.P Depp) and co-starred with Marlon Brando in "The Barve," which debuted at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. His other film credits include "Benny and Joon," for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, Mike Newell's "Donny Brasco" with Al Pacino, "Don Juan DeMarco" opposite Marlon Brando, Terry Gilliam's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man," "Emir Kusturica's "Arizona Dream" and John Waters' "Cry Baby." He first came to attention as undercover detective Tom Hanson on the television show "21 Jump Street," in which he starred for four season.
As a musician, Johnny Depp has played guitar on two albums with the band Oasis as well as with Shane McGowan, formerly of the Poges. He is also a member of the band P, whose other members include Butthole Surfer Gibby Haynes, guitarist Bill Carter, Sex Pistol Steve Jones, Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea and Sal Jenco.
Judi Dench (Armande)
Dame Judi Dench plays Armande, the aging libertine who makes a last stand for freedom on her birthday. Dench is one of the world's leading and most versatile actresses – and recently was awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth in John Madden's "Shakespeare In Love." The lauded role also brought her the BAFTA, National Society of Film Critics Awards and nominations from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes. In her previous collaboration with Madden, Dench starred as Queen Victoria in "Mrs. Brown," winning an Academy Nomination for Best Actress and a cluster of other awards, including the Golden Globe and a BAFTA award among many others.
Her other film credits include the role of M in the recent Bond films – "The World Is Not Enough," "Tomorrow Never Dies" and "Golden Eye," as well as Franco Zefferelli's "Tea With Mussolini," Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" and "Henry V," Tim Sullivan's "Jack and Sarah," Charles Sturridge's "A Handful of Dust," David Jones's "84 Charing Cross Road" and James Ivory's "A Room With A View."
Judi Dench's career in the theatre spans more than 40 years. Most recently, she appeared on Broadway and at the National Theatre in Richard Eyre's production of "Amy's View," for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress and the Critics Circle Award. Other recent credits include Sir Peter Hall's "Filumena" for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award; "A Little Night Music" for which she won the Oliver for Best Actress in a Musical; Anthony Page's "Absolute Hell," garnering another Olivier; and John Caird's "The Seagull."
Over the years, she has played most of the great Shakespearean roles - Juliet, Beatrice, Lady Macbeth, Isabella, Titania, Viola, Portia and Cleopatra - and a wide variety of other classical and contemporary plays including the title roles in "The Duchess of Malfi," "St Joan" and "Mother Courage," Anya in "The Three Sisters," Sally Bowles in "Cabaret," Juno in "Juno and the Paycock" and Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Ernest."
Her numerous television roles include the BBC's hugely popular comedy series "As Time Goes By." She has also appeared in BBC productions of "The Browning Version," "Smiley's People," "The Cherry Orchard," as well as the series "A Fine Romance" with her husband Michael Williams. Recently, she starred with Leslie Caron, Olympia Dukakis and Sir Ian Holm in HBO's "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells." Over the years she has won dozens of awards for her work in theatre, film and television and she was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1988.
Alfred Molina (Comte de Reynaud)
Alfred Molina plays the Comte de Reynaud, the nobleman who takes it upon himself to drive out the chocolate shop that threatens the town's status quo. A renowned star of stage and screen, Molina most recently appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed ensemble dreama "Magnolia." He will next be seen in Steve Miner's classic Western "Texas Rangers," and in "Pete's Meteor" with Brenda Fricker.
Molina previously won raves with a cameo role in Anderson's "Boogie Nights," part of a cast that garnered a special Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a theatrical motion picture. His extensive film credits include the recent "Dudley Do-Right," "The Impostors," "Anna Karenina," "Species," "The Perez Family," "Hideaway," "Maverick," "Enchanted April," "Prick Up Your Ears," "Dead Man," "Not Without My Daughter," "Before and After," "Celebrity," "Miracle Man" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to name a few.
Molina made his Broadway debut in 1998 in the Tony winning play "Art" with Alan Alda and Victor Garber, taking a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award for his performance. Other theatre credits include his award-winning appearance in "Molly Sweeney" at New York's Roundabout Theater; "Night of the Iguana"; David Mamet's "Speed the Plow"; "Serious Money" and "Oklahoma." On television, Molina opened the 1999 fall season with the series "Ladies Man," starring as furniture maker Jimmy Stiles.
Peter Stormare (Serge)
Peter Stormare plays Serge, Josephine's brutish husband who joins the movement to drive Vianne Rocher out of town. Stormare most recently starred in Lars Von Trier's "Dancer in The Dark" starring Bjork. He is well known to movie audiences for his role as a bumbling criminal in the Coen Brothers' "Fargo," for which he was nominated for an MTV Movie Award, and also starred in the Coen Brothers' "The Big Lebowski." He will be seen next in Wim Wenders' "The Million Dollar Hotel" co-starring Mel Gibson.
Stormare's film credits also include Joel Schumacher's "8mm," Michael Bay's "Armegeddon," Harold Becker's "Mercury Rising," Steven Spielberg's "Lost World: Jurassic Park," David O. Russell's "Flirting with Disaster," Robert Lepage's "Le Polygraphe," Spike Lee's "Girl 6," Louis Malle's "Damage," Penny Marshall's "Awakenings" and Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander" and "Bacchants."
A native of Sweden, Stormare began his acting career at the Royal National Theatre of Sweden where he performed for eleven years and appeared in five classic plays directed by Ingmar Bergman. In 1990 he became Associate Artistic Director at the Tokyo Globe Theatre and directed productions of many Shakespeare plays including "Hamlet." On television, Stormare has appeared on "Seinfeld" in the U.S. and in Ingmar Bergman's "Larmar och gor sig till" in Sweden.
Carrie-Anne Moss (Caroline Clairmont)
Carrie-Anne Moss is the tightly wound Caroline Clairmont, who stands between her mother Armande and her son Luc, until Vianne Rocher foils her plan. Moss came to the fore in the Wachowski Brothers' runaway sci-fi hit "The Matrix" starring as the cyber-rebel Trinity opposite Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. She will reprise her role in the sequel "Matrix 2."
This season Moss can be seen in Antony Hoffman's "Red Planet" with Val Kilmer and also forthcoming is Chris Nolan's "The Memento" with Guy Pearce. Moss most recently starred with Richard Dreyfuss and Burt Reynolds in Michael Dinner's "The Crew." Her other film credits include "New Blood" and "The Secret Life of Algernon."
Moss began her career as a model in Europe and Japan. While working in Spain, she landed a regular role in the television series "Dark Justice," which was produced in Barcelona for its first season. Moss moved to Los Angeles the following year when the production switched locations. Since then, she has appeared extensively on television, including in "Models Inc." and in "Due South," for which she was nominated for Gemini Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series.
On stage, she has been in "Outward Bound" in Los Angeles as well as in productions of "Time of Your Life," "Stage Door" and "The Sound of Music."
Leslie Caron (Madame Audel)
Veteran performer Leslie Caron plays Madame Audel, a widow still in mourning after a decade. A Best Actress Academy Award nominee for 1953's "Lili," Caron has appeared in numerous film classics, including "An American in Paris," "Daddy Long Legs," "Gigi," "The L-Shaped Room" and "Father Goose." Among the directors she has worked with are Vincente Minnelli, Ken Russell, Jean Negulesco, Francois Truffaut and Louis Malle.
Caron recently starred with Judi Dench, Olympia Dukakis and Sir Ian Holm in HBO's "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells." Her recent film credits include "The Reef" based on Edith Wharton's novel and starring Timothy Dalton, "Let It Be Me" with Campbell Scott and Peter Chesholm's "Funny Bones." She now owns and run as inn located at Villeneuve sur Yonne in the Burgundy region of France.
John Wood (Guillaume Bierot)
Guillaum Blerot, who finds himself secretly wooing Madame Audel, is played by Tony Award winner John Wood. Wood has most recently been seen in Ulrich Edad's "The Little Vampire," Oliver Parker's "An Ideal Husband," "Philip Saville's "Metroland," Malcolm Mowbray's "The Revenger's Comedies" and Karoly Maak's "The Gambler." He will next be seen in "The Body" with Antonio Banderas.
Wood's other film credits include Richard Loncraine's "Richard III," Sidney Pollack's "Sabrina," Franco Zefferelli's "Jane Eyre," Nicholas Hytner's "The Madness of King George," Richard Attenborough's "Shadowlands," Sally Potter's "Orlando" and Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo."
On stage, Wood won the Tony Award, the Evening Standard Award and the Swet Award in Peter Wood's "Travesties." His many other acclaimed roles include Nicholas Hytner's productions of "King Lear" and "The Tempest"; Trevor Nunn's productions of "Titus Andronicus" and "Julius Caesar" and Harold Pinter's production of "Exiles." Other stage credits include Richard Eyre's National Theatre production of "Invention of Love," for which Wood was nominated for an Evening Standard Award and Olivier Award for Best Actor, Harold Pinter's "Exiles" and Peter Hall's "Brouhaha" and "Camino Real."
Hugh O'Conor (Pere Henri)
Hugh O'Conor plays Pere Henri, the village's rock n' roll loving priest who becomes a pawn in the Comte de Reynaud's war against chocolate. After making his major debut in "Lamb" opposite Liam Neeson, O'Conor won the Youth in Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of the young Christy Brown in Jim Sheridan's "My Left Foot" starring Brenda Fricker and Daniel Day Lewis.
O'Conor's other film credits include "Da" opposite Martin Sheen, Stephen Herek's "The Three Musketeers" and Benjamin Ross's "The Young Poisoner's Handbook," as well as "Saltwater," "Hotel Splendide," "Sawdust Tales" and "The Boy From Mercury." He most recently starred with Toni Colette in "Hotel Splendide."
O'Conor recently won a Fulbright Scholarship for the NYU Film School.
Victoire Thivisol (Anouk Rocher)
Victoire Thivisol stars as Anouk Rocher, Vianne's imaginative daughter who has secret conversations with her invisible kangaroo. Thivisol previously made film history starring in Jacque Dillon's critically acclaimed "Ponette," starring as a grieving child who will not speak. At the age of four, Thivisol became the youngest person ever to win the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival. Thivisol is now nine years old.
Aurelien Parent Koenig (Luc)
Aurelien Paretn Koenig makes his feature film debut as Luc, the grandson Armande has been forbidden to see. Koenig is the son of an American mother and a French mother and is perfectly bilingual. He has previously appeared in bilingual musicals at a theatre school in Paris, playing Peter in "Peter Pan" and the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz."
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Lasse Hallstrom (Director)
Lasse Hallstrom is known for his charming, humane filmmaking style that embraces life's many unusual characters and situations. Most recently this was brought to the fore in the highly acclaimed "The Cider House Rules," based on John Irving's novel about an orphan who decides to see the world, for which Michael Caine received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Hallstrom first came to the attention of American audiences with the release of "My Life As A Dog," which he wrote and directed. The film, which follows the adventures of a resilient 12 year old-boy in an eccentric country village, earned universal praise for its winsome warmth and poignancy and garnered Hallstrom Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. The New York Film Critics also named "My Life As A Dog" as Best Foreign Film.
Next up for the director was "Once Around," a romantic comedy starring Holly Hunter as a repressed Boston woman who is swept off her feet by an obnoxious salesman millionaire played by Richard Dreyfuss. This was followed by the 1993 hit film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?," the offbeat tale of a young who holds the troubled Grape family together. The film brought recognition to a young Leonardo DiCaprio, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role as Johnny Depp's autistic younger brother. Hallstrom then directed "Something to Talk About," starring Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Robert Duvall and Kyra Sedgewick in the story of two generations of a tumultuous Southern family.
Hallstrom began his career in his native Sweden, working in television and directing music videos, notably for the famed Swedish band ABBA. This relationship led to Hallstrom directing and editing "ABBA: The Movie" in 1977. He went on to direct several films in his homeland, including "A Lover and his Lass," "Father To Be" and "The Children of Bullerby Village."
Hallstrom will next direct the motion picture based on E. Annie Proulx's award-winning novel The Shipping News.
Robert Nelson Jacobs (Screenwriter)
Robert Nelson Jacobs delved into the mystical, Mayan history of chocolate as a symbol for power and pleasure in writing the screenplay for CHOCOLAT. Jacobs brings to his work his own literary background, having studied at the prestigious Iowa Writer's Workshop with John Updike, John Cheever, Ian McEwan and Frank O'Connor. While at Iowa, Jacobs discovered his real interest was in spinning grand stories out of the stuff of human emotion – and he decided the best place to do that was on film.
Jacobs flew to Los Angeles – where the very first poster he hung on his wall was for Lasse Hallstrom's "My Life As a Dog" – and began to pursue screenwriting. He made his debut with the comedy "Out To Sea," the story of three elderly cruise hosts out to meet rich widows, which provided a vehicle for the comic talents of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Underneath the repartee, Jacobs' story also tackled the rougher seas of love and loss. Next, Jacob was hired to bring his story-telling skills to the family film "Dinosaur." Following "Chocolat," he is contracted to write two more screenplays for Miramax, including "The Shipping News" to be directed by Lasse Hallstrom.
Joanne Harris (Novelist)
Joanne Harris, part French and part English, found the inspiration for her novel Chocolat in her own family history and folklore, herself having lived in a sweet-shop and being the great-granddaughter of a Frenchwoman known locally as a witch and a healer. Harris, who studied at St. Catherine's College in Cambridge where she received a BA and an MA in French and German, teaches French in an English school and lives in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and daughter.
Her latest novel, Blackberry Wine, she returns to Lansquenet to explore the intoxicating effects of a local wine shop. Harris's next novel, Five Quarters of the Orange is due out in early 2001.
David Brown (Producer)
David Brown has produced some of the most memorable films of recent times in partnership with Richard Z Zanuck, including Steven Spielberg's "Jaws," George Roy Hill's Academy Award winning "The Sting," Sidney Lumet's "The Verdict" and Ron Howard's "Cocoon."
Brown's prolific credits also include Robert Altman's "The Player," Rob Reiner's Academy Award nominated "A Few Good Men," Philip Noyce's "The Saint," Mimi Leder's "Deep Impact," Gary Fleder's "Kiss The Girls" and Alan Parker's "Angela's Ashes." He also executive produced the Academy Award winning "Driving Miss Daisy."
In 1991, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Brown and Zanuck the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. In 1993, the partners also received the David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America.
Brown has also had a long career as a journalist, author and magazine editor. His books include the critically acclaimed Brown's Guide To Growing Gray, his memoirs entitled Let Me Entertain You and The Rest of Your Life Is the Best of Your Life. He is also an occassional contributor to The New Yorker.
Brown's Broadway credits include "Tru," "A Few Good Men" and "The Cemetery Club" and, in London, "Vanilla." His television credits include the award-winning series "Women & Men" and "A Season in Purgatory."
Forthcoming for Brown is "Along Came a Spider" to be directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Morgan Freeman. He is also preparing a Broadway musical based on the classic film "The Sweet Smell of Success" to be directed by Nicholas Hytner, and is developing a television mini-series based on John Dos Passos' trilogy "U.S.A."
Kit Golden (Producer)
Kit Golden has worked with producer David Brown for the last nine years developing such pictures as "The Saint," "Kiss the Girls," "The Player" and "Angela's Ashes," on which she served as an associate producer. CHOCOLAT marks her first film as a producer.
Leslie Holleran (Producer)
Leslie Holleran has been Lasse Hallstrom's producing partner since 1993. The critically acclaimed success of their recent production, "The Cider House Rules," garnered them two Academy Awards, five Academy Award nominations and a two-picture deal with Miramax Films. She will next collaborate with Hallstrom on "The Shipping News" based on the novel by E. Annie Proulx.
In the course of their partnership, Holleran and Hallstrom have been in development on a number of projects: "Sebastian's Love," adapted from the Swedish novel by Vita Anderson, and "She's Come Undone" from the best-selling novel by Wally Lamb.
Alan C. Blomquist (Producer)
Alan C. Blomquist previously collaborated with Lasse Hallstrom on the Academy Award winning "The Cider House Rules" and the acclaimed "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" He has served as executive producer on Vincent Ward's "What Dreams May Come," Mark Dippe's "Spawn," Alfonso Cuaron's "A Little Princess" and Ted Demme's "Beautiful Girls." As a producer, Blomquist's credits include Gary Sinise's "Of Mice and Men," Irwin Winkler's "Guilty By Suspicion" and Taylor Hackford's "Everybody's All American." He also produced the remake of the 1971 cult film "Vanishing Point" for the Fox Network and the Emmy Award winning ABC After School Special "The War Between Classes."
Prior to producing, Blomquist served in various key production capacities for both feature films and television movies. He was the first assistant director on Sidney J. Furie's "Iron Eagle" and the unit production manager on Taylor Hackford's "La Bamba" and John Hughes' "Uncle Buck."
Roger Pratt (Cinematography)
Roger Pratt most recently received an Academy Award nomination and the BAFTA Award for Best Cinematographer for his work on Neil Jordan's "The End of the Affair" starring Ralph Fiennes. Pratt also photographed Kevin Lima's "102 Dalmations" starring Glenn Close and Gerard Depardieu.
Pratt is most closely associated with the dreamlike imagery and fertile imagination of Terry Gilliam, for whom he photographed the features "Brazil," "The Fisher King," "12 Monkeys" and "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life." He also worked on Gilliam's "The Adventure of Baron Munchausen," "Jabberwocky" and "Monty Python and The Holy Grail."
Pratt's wide-ranging credits also include three films for Richard Attengborough – "Grey Owl," "In Love and War" and "Shadowlands" – as well as Tim Burton's "Batman," Neil Jordan's "Mona Lisa," Kenneth Branagh's "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" and Jeremiah Schechik's "The Avengers."
David Gropman (Production Designer)
David Gropman previously won acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for his production design for Lasse Hallström's "The Cider House Rules." He also collaborated with Hallstrom on "Once Around." Gropman's credits also include Steve Zallian's "A Civil Action" and "Searching for Bobby Fisher," Robert Benton's "Twilight" and "Nobody's Fool," Jerry Zak's "Marvin's Room," Alfonso Arau's "A Walk in the Clouds," Forest Whittaker's "Waiting to Exhale," Gary Sinise's "Of Mice and Men" and James Ivory's "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" and "Slaves of New York."
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Gropman studied at San Francisco State University and at the Yale School of Drama. In 1997, he moved to New York City, where he designed such shows as "Mass Appeal," "Open Admissions," "Lena Horne – The Lady and Her Music" and "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." He subsequently designed the film version of the latter, making his motion picture debut.
Gropman also designed for the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Additional credits include the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein's opera "A Quiet Place," which ran at the Houston Grand Opera, La Scala and The Kennedy Center.
Andrew Mondshein (Editor)
Andrew Mondshein was recently nominated for an Academy Award for his work on director M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense." Mondshein reunites with Lasse Hallstrom on CHOCOLAT, having editing the Oscar-nominated "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" and "Once Around."
Beginning his career under the tutelage of director Sidney Lumet, Mondshein worked on five films with him including "Garbo Talks," "Family Business" and the award-winning "Running on Empty." He went on to edit three films for Susan Seidelman including the hit "Desperately Seeking Susan"; two films for Beeban Kidron incuding "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar," and most recently, Joseph Ruben's "Return to Paradise."
In addition to his work as editor, Mondshein has also directed second camera unit on six films including "The Sixth Sense," "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" and "Running on Empty." He recently directed his first feature length film for MGM Studios, "Evidence of Blood" starring David Stathairn and Mary McDonnell.
Naomi Donne (Make-Up & Hair)
Naomi Donne's credits as chief make-up designer include Sydney Pollack's "Random Hearts," Nicole Kidman in Griffin Dunne's "Practical Magic," Gwyneth Paltrow in Andrew Davis's "A Perfect Murder," Nicholas Hytner's "The Object of My Affection" and "The Crucible," Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Alien Resurrection," Robert Benton's "Nobody's Fool," Fred Schepisi's "Six Degrees of Separation" and "The Russia House," John Glen's "License to Kill" and Timothy Dalton in "The Living Daylights" and David Seltzer's "Shining Through.
Donne has also provided principal make-up for Melanie Griffith in Fernando Trueba's "Two Much," Richard Benjamin's "Milk Money," "A Stranger Among Us" and Luis Mandoki's "Born Yesterday." Winona Ryder in Gillian Armstrong's "Little Women" and Michelle Pfeiffer in Garry Marshall's "Frankie & Johnnie."
Renee Erlich Kalfus (Costume Designer)
Renee Erlich Kalfus has collaborated with director Lasse Hallstrom on three previous films: "The Cider House Rule," "Once Around" and "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" The highly regarded costume designer's credits include Scott Hicks' "Snow Falling on Cedars," Griffin Dunne's "Addicted to Love," Martha Coolidge's "Crazy In Love," Tim Robbins' "Dead Man Walking," Robert Harling's "The Evening Star," "Safe Passage" and "With Honors" directed by Alec Keshishian.
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資 料 主 要 由 年 代 電 影 ( 香 港 ) 有 限 公 司 提 供
Information mainly provided by Era Films (Hong Kong) Limited
註：以上資訊由片主或其推廣代表提供。本網並不保證此等資訊是否正確。
Note: The information above is provided by the owners of the film or their agents
who are responsible for the promotion of the film. We do not guarantee the accuracy
of such information.
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