Merci pour le chocolat (2000)

In Lausanne, the aspirant pianist Jeanne Pollet has lunch with her mother Louise Pollet, her boyfriend Axel and his mother. Lenna leans that when she was born, a nurse had mistakenly told ... See full summary »

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Charlotte Armstrong (novel), Claude Chabrol,

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Jacques Dutronc, Anna Mouglalis

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert	...	Marie-Claire 'Mika' Muller
Jacques Dutronc	...	André Polonski
Anna Mouglalis	...	Jeanne Pollet
Rodolphe Pauly	...	Guillaume Polonski
Brigitte Catillon	...	Louise Pollet
Michel Robin	...	Dufreigne
Mathieu Simonet	...	Axel
Lydia Andrei	...	Lisbeth
Véronique Alain	...	Madame le Maire
Isolde Barth	...	Pauline
Jacqueline Burnand
François Germond
Antoinette Martin
Michel Moulin
Dorotea Brandin

Storyline

In Lausanne, the aspirant pianist Jeanne Pollet has lunch with her mother Louise Pollet, her boyfriend Axel and his mother. Lenna leans that when she was born, a nurse had mistakenly told to the prominent pianist André Polonski that she would be his daughter. André has just remarried his first wife, the heiress of a Swiss chocolate factory Marie-Claire "Mika" Muller and they live in Lausanne with André's son Guillaume Polonski. Out of the blue, Jeanne visits André and he offers to give piano classes to help her in her examination. Jeanne becomes closer to André and sooner she discovers that Mika might be drugging her stepson with Rohypnol. Further, she might have killed his second wife Lisbeth.

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Plot Keywords:

piano | chocolate | pianist | doubt | concert pianist | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

France Switzerland

Language:

French

Release Date:

25 October 2000 (France)

Also Known As:

Gracias por el chocolate

Filming Locations:

Lausanne, Canton de Vaud, Switzerland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$31,805 (USA) (16 August 2002)

Gross:

$443,238 (USA) (31 January 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

CAB Productions, Canal+, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time this movie was shot, the house was owned by David Bowie who was trying to sell it.

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Goofs

(at around 40 mins) When Mika is talking to Dr. Pollet in the hospital, two crew members feet and a cable (possibly the boom mic's cable) are visible moving - reflected on the side of table. This shot lasts for approx 50 seconds like this.

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Connections

References Secret Beyond the Door... (1947)

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Soundtracks

" Funérailles"
de Franz Liszt
Par Claudio Arrau
Copyright Philips Classics
Avec l'aimable autorisation de Universal Music Projets Spéciaux

User Reviews

The Fun is in the Details

The plot may not be particularly clever, but watching Huppert's brilliant, tense, technically outstanding acting in the role of a woman in search of a nervous breakdown against Dutronc's nonchalant, understated, simmering portrayal of a seedy pillhead, seemingly oblivious to what's going on around him, is worth the price of admission and then some! Supporting characters are all excellent, though the young girl is a bit too wide-eyed for her own good. The movie is also fun to watch just for its use of color, clothing, and art as symbols, including allusions to earlier Huppert classics like "La Dentelliere". While this might not be Chabrol's masterpiece, it would be a good example for any young director to study how a veteran uses the elements of his craft most economically to greatest effect. As for actors: watch Isabelle Huppert's face in the close-up during the long, final shot -- there's a whole acting lesson right there. Not a perfect movie, but enjoyable to watch if you have a mind for such details.