It’s 1959 in a small village in the South of France when Vianne and her daughter Anouk arrive in their bright red capes and start stirring things up.
Vianne buys the old patisserie in the town square for her new chocolate shop. The fact that she does so during Lent, when most villagers have given up sweets, doesn’t go over well. The Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), especially, takes umbrage, and comes to the shop to confront Vianne:
Undeterred by the town’s chilly reception, Vianne sets to work on the shop, painting everything turquoise:
Open for business:
This hot chocolate she makes looks like hot fudge. You’d have to eat it with a spoon!
Working in the kitchen with her new friend and coworker (Lena Olin):
Totally gratuitous Johnny Depp photo, as the Irish “River Rat” Roux:
When Roux comes to town, Vianne is the only shopkeeper who will serve him. He shows his appreciation for her friendship by fixing her front door:
Vianne throws a party in the backyard for her landlady Armande’s birthday (Judi Dench):
I enjoyed all of the sets in this movie. On the DVD there is an interview with the production designer who explains that they used a stone-walled French village from the 10th city for the exteriors.
Here are some shots of the local beauty shop and cafe:
Alfred Molina plays the local “baddie”–the Comte de Reynaud, who rules the village with an iron fist. The sets for his house and mayoral office, created on a soundstage in England, were beautiful, too:
Love the fireplace in his kitchen:
In the end, Vianne wins the village over, of course–and Roux, too.
Visit my TV/Movie Houses page for links to all the others I’ve featured, from Sabrina to Brideshead Revisited.
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