Director Lasse Hallstrom follows up last year's wonderful Cider House Rules with Chocolat, an eager attempt at capturing that magic stirred up by the similarly themed Like Water For Chocolate. With a stellar cast, breathtaking cinematography and a beautiful score by Rachel Portman, Chocolat seems like a real winner--but I've got to report that it comes up a bit short. This isn't to say, however, that Chocolat doesn't contain many touching moments.

The stunning Juliette Binoche plays a woman who travels from town to town with her young daughter, always hoping that their next stop will be their last. Upon arrival in a tiny French village, it looks as if she may have found a permanent home. At first, Binoche hardly feels welcome, but then she wins the townspeople over with her delectable chocolate confections.

As is usually the case with his films, Hallstrom has a knack for quirky charm, and Chocolat has no shortage in that department. He also has the ability to shoot these chocolate creations in way that almost allow the audience to taste them right along with the characters.

He has fashioned an incredible ensemble here. Binoche is radiant, and Judi Dench turns in another scene stealing performance, but it's Alfred Molina that leaves the biggest impression. Although he appears to be a villain, there's so much humanity there that you never really hate the guy, and he also has an incredible sense of comic timing. What a truly underrated actor. It also should be noted that Johnny Depp shows up in a seemingly miscast role, but he does grow on you as the film progresses.

In the end, Chocolat is really a film about temptation. Living your life to the fullest and not being afraid to let yourself go once in a while. On that level, I really enjoyed the film. I was bothered by some of the obvious sentiment oozing from the sides of this picture, and didn't always buy into the magic of it, but it did have some surprises up it's sleeve.

I'd have to say that Chocolat is my least favorite of Hallstrom's pictures (My Life As a Dog, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Once Around), but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. And I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but even I wanted to run out for a Hershey bar when the film was over.