2000, 2 hrs, Rated PG-13 PG-13 for a scene of sensuality and some violence.�Dir: Lasse Hallstr�m. Cast: Juliette Binoche (Vianne Rocher), Victoire Thivisol (Anouk Rocher), Lena Olin (Josephine Muscat), Johnny Depp (Roux), Judi Dench (Armande Voizin), Alfred Molina (Comte de Reynaud), Peter Stormare (Serge Muscat), Carrie-Anne Moss (Caroline Claimont).

Except for needing to buy a vowel in the title, this is a very charming film that melts in your heart, not your head. Aww, I get a piece of chocolate when I buy my ticket, how sweet.

I wasn�t sure if I�d like Chocolat; the title�s pronounced in French and nothing gets blow�d up, plus the villain in the film is described as someone I always proclaim to be, a man of tradition who thinks history is the anchor for the future. But, then he goes about trashing the good name of town newcomer Juliette Binoche, and I for one am not prone to backstabbing nice people.

PLOT: Binoche blows in like Little Red Riding Hood with the North wind to a picturesque village high on a hill above the fray in France, circa 1959. �If you lived in this village, you know what was expected of you�if you happened to forget, someone would remind you,� i.e. very stuffy religious folk who have problems expressing themselves. It�s the beginning of Lent, and God forbid, Binoche has opened a chocolate shop in the square. Binoche quickly learns that old traditions die hard here.

Beautiful and mysterious Binoche has such welcoming eyes, soft features, and a sympathetic face. Sometimes it appears that the director purposefully adjusts the focus a bit soft on close-ups to enhance these features. Not that it would matter, as Juliette is Vianne Rocher, a single mother who wanders from town to town across Europe, introducing people to the joys of the flesh without abandoning the spirit. Like having one love, Vianne has a knack for finding the perfect chocolate for everyone.

The way chocolate is served and savored, you�d think it was some sort of elixir, which I guess it is at times. Lipstick on the collar is nothing compared to chocolate on the lips at the height of the town�s unwitting clash with Vianne.

As with any fine film there is plenty of support to boost your viewing pleasure. For example, Vianne�s daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) is a great feat of casting, she�s a fine young actress and looks just like Binoche.

Dame Judi Dench is again in fine form as a cranky old woman who doesn�t care that Binoche is supposed to be an outcast. Carrie-Ann Moss plays Dench�s estranged daughter, and looks fantastic out of the leather that defined her sexiness in The Matrix. She cleans up real nice.

Chocolat is another Miramax gem, predictable but charming, uplifting and highly enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

The verdict: -- Sensually sweet

Now that I've seen all five Best Picture nominees, this ranks fourth, ahead of Erin Brockovich but not for my tastes as was Traffic, Gladiator and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.