Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: Woman moves into post-war French hamlet and shakes it up with her confections.
Biased, pithy comments: I had low expectations for this movie---drippy, wish-it-were-French Mirimax arty film. Blech. Instead, we get a charming fable about an insightful woman who uses her sweets to sweeten the lives (and harden the arteries) of the people around her. Sure, it's a little too precious sometimes---the voice-overs detract from the acting sometimes, and it baffles me to think that French people in France fail to speak French or unaccented English, but rather thick faux-accents (on some of the characters---Binoche, for instance, actually is French). Anyway, despite a bit of twee-overload (and one preposterous slo-mo eating scene), I found myself growing to really like these goofy French charactitures as they began to reveal their humanity bit by bit. At the end, you're a little sad it's over. Not the least bit perfect, I'd still say see it with a date, and then go have dessert.
Other Notes: Seeing Carrie-Ann Moss without PVC dress...sigh. You take what you get.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Carrie-Ann Moss, Johnny Depp.
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom