Chocolat - 2000 - UK

Chocolat - 2000 - 6/10

 
Late 1950’s, small French village, into which arrives the widow woman and daughter.
Even though the village is little more than a hamlet, she sets up a chocolate shop.
Chocolate, being a luxury item, straight off I’m growing skeptical.
How can locals afford this?  How does she source ingredients?
Not to worry, a dalliance between her an a Roma guitarist provides distraction.
During release, this was the big artsy hit with mainstream viewers (usually one film per year).
I didn’t “get it” then, and still don’t.  Yes, yes, no soul.
Romantics and fable lovers, this should suit you better.

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle - 1992 - USA

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle - 1992 - 6/10

 
The home-wrecker.  Usurper.  The hot babysitter, the childless au pair.
After Peyton loses her infant, she opts to enter a new family.
Mind you, the family in question, rather the wife, she holds responsible for the death of her husband.
Once in the home, small moves, worming her way deeper as a steamy, alternative mate.
Charged erotic thriller is too classy for that genre with a strong cast of rising faces.
Rebecca De Mornay could work these roles in her sleep at this time.
Sinister date film.

Safe - 1995 - USA

Safe - 1995 - 6/10

 
Carol, poster child for the ideal suburban life.
Picture perfect home, high earning husband, and she retains physical attractiveness.
After she suffers an allergic reaction, hidden anxieties surface.
Fear turns into phobias, worsened by “advisors”.
Julianne Moore offers nuanced portrayal of the soul swirling into Mysophobia / Nosophobia.
In 1995, this scenario seemed implausible.  With the Covid pandemic, rabbit holes multiply.

An Ideal Husband - 1999 - UK

An Ideal Husband - 1999 - 6/10

 
One of the less stagey adaptations of Wilde’s plays.
Lord Goring, bit of an idler, attempts to aid a ministerial friend being blackmailed by one Mrs. Cheveley.
What follows is a dry comedy of manners and delicious dialogue.
The conversations sparkle throughout, yet the tone is standoffish.
None of the characters every really engage one’s sympathy.
(Aside from Mrs Cheveley whom I found enticingly wicked.)
I applaud the production values, as well as cast and direction.
Still, this may be better for fans of the play or playwright.

Suicide Circle - 2001 - Japan

Suicide Circle - 2001 - 6/10
AKA - Jisatsu Sâkuru  // 自殺サークル

 
Schoolgirls hurl themselves in front of an express train.
Nurses leap out windows.  Adults mutilate themselves.
Across Japan, the casualty count explodes, along with the popularity of the J-group, Dessert.
Not much is explained, although sensitive viewers can detect major themes.
Quiet points about disassociation and isolation echo throughout.
Early Sion Sono made a splash and caught the attention of Asia cinema fans.
As with many of Sono’s earlier works, the acting here is less bombastic.

The Groove Tube - 1974 - USA

The Groove Tube - 1974 - 5/10

 
Hit and miss sketch comedy, with far more swishes than hits.
An opening spoof of 2001 is funny, but quality varies thereafter.
Many of the skits are of TV commercials, products now lost to history and almost meaningless.
Some of the players appear in brownface and in blackface.
2 stars if you can guess what a story on planet Uranus will focus on.
Early roles for Chevy Chase and Richard Belzer.