This is simply one of the best movies I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few. Juliet Binoche is magnificent as Vianne--perfectly cast. Her daughter is a true gem. The story line is completely engaging. I loved this movie from beginning to end. It made me hungry, happy and utterly at home in the mysterious and yet somehow familiar landscapes and plot lines that the author creates for the audience to enter. The writing is almost poetic and the characters are all completely believable and true to type. The chocolate shop is not a shop at all, but rather a metaphor we are all drawn into. I was inspired by the courage of the protagonist, a strong female role model, and the events of the film that never let us rest for a moment. Definitely, this one gets two thumbs up.