By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Claude Chabrol
Starring: Anna Mouglalis | Isabelle Huppert | Jacques Dutronc | Rodolphe Pauly
Country: france, spain, switzerland
Year: 2002
Running time: 99
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0232083
Laura says: “Septuagenarian Chabrol, long known as the French Hitchcock, knows how to utilize Huppert’s cool brand of calculation. Their seventh collaboration is both as twisty and as obvious as the black web Mika literally spins with her crochet needle.
“The biggest mystery in Chabrol’s latest isn’t what Mika may or may not be putting into her nightly chocolate drink concoctions, but the relationship between herself and Andre. Mika carefully covers her manipulations with an outward perky cheerfulness while Andre, seemingly unaware of the effect of his words, notes Jeanne’s resemblance to Lizbeth. Is Andre oblivious or is he using his wife as a patron of the arts?
“Chabrol and Caroline Eliacheff have adapted a Charlotte Armstrong novel by ladling on the symbolism. While Mika may be a murderer, Jeanne’s mother is forensics chemist, which links back to the more commercial profession of Mika’s father. In one conversation, Mika’s business associate Dufreigne (Michel Robin) chides her for dropping sponsorship of children’s charities while discussing how to get milk to the factory. Jeanne keeps fussing about milk for her tea – a quest to discover mother? If all this weren’t enough, the musical piece Polonski mentors Jeanne on is ‘Funerailles.’.
“MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT is a poisonous play of parentage with a barren schemer pulling its strings.”4 cats
Michael says: “Isabelle Huppert is a commanding presence in the low-key French thriller MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT. Huppert plays Mika, marrying her first husband, André Polonski for a second time after his second wife, Lisbeth has died mysteriously in an auto accident. Mika runs a chocolate empire, while André is a famous pianist. Their 18-year-old son, Guillame, is at loose ends. On his holidays, he prefers to lay about the house, playing hand-held computer games, watch videos and collect snails.
“When Jeanne finds out from her forensic pathologist mother that she was born on the same day as Guillaume, and mistaken for his daughter when André arrived at the hospital, she decides to visit the famous pianist, enjoying the coincidence that she too has a talent for the piano. When she enters the Polonski household, Mika begins scheming, you can see it behind the cool cheerfulness she presents to the world. When Jeanne catches Mika purposefully spilling the chocolate she’d made for Guillaume, she becomes suspicious. She stains her sweater with some of the spilled chocolate and has her boyfriend, who works with her mother at the pathology lab, analyze the chocolate. They find that there is a drug present that puts people to sleep.
“Director Claude Chabrol tells a lively tale, wrapping up an obvious mystery nicely, but hinting at further mysteries that are never revealed. Mika’s world is filled with finery, clothes, a grand home, beautiful cars, exotic professions, and through it all, Mika sits at the center of her web and weaves her careful calculations. Huppert is a master of showing us that Mika is acting, with unguessed depth layered beneath the facade. Along with THE PIANO TEACHER and the forthcoming 8 WOMEN, Huppert could certainly be in Chlotrudis running for three films this year!
“MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT is a delightfully fun movie. Bob, Scot and I continued to enjoy the film even after the credits rolled as we discussed all the things that were left unsaid throughout the film.” 4 cats