Realizing that she has brought change to the town, she decides to stay.Despite the shifting sentiment in the town, Reynaud remains staunch in his abstinence from pleasures such as chocolate. Just before she does so, she goes into her kitchen to see a group of townspeople who have come to love her and the way she has changed their lives, making chocolate for a festival Vianne had planned on Easter Sunday. After the fire, Roux packs up and leaves with his group, much to Vianne's sadness.Deciding she cannot win against Reynaud or the strict traditions of the town, Vianne resolves to move to another place. Also that night, Luc returns to his grandmother's living room to see that she has succumbed to the complications of her diabetes, devastating both him and his mother. Both escape unharmed, but Vianne's faith in the village is shaken. Late that night, Serge sets the boat on fire where Josephine and Anouk are sleeping. When Caroline sees Luc, who snuck out to go to the party, dancing with her mother, she begins to see how rigid she is with her son and that his grandmother's influence in his life may not be a bad thing.After the party, Vianne, Josephine, and Anouk all sleep on the boats, where Roux and Vianne make love. Together they hold a birthday party for Armande with other village members and gypsies on Roux's boat. While most of the town objects to their presence, Vianne embraces them, developing a mutual attraction to the gypsy Roux (Johnny Depp). A drunken Serge breaks into the chocolaterie later that night and attempts to attack both women before Josephine, in a moment of empowerment, knocks him out with a skillet.As the rivalry between Vianne and Reynaud worsens, a band of river gypsies camp out on the outskirts of the village. Finally happy and fulfilled, Josephine declines. Under the instruction of Reynaud, Serge seemingly changes into a better man and he asks Josephine to come back to him. As she begins to work at the chocolaterie and Vianne teaches her craft, Josephine becomes a self-confident, changed woman. After a particularly brutal blow to the head, Josephine leaves her husband and moves in with Vianne and Anouk. Caroline later reveals to Vianne that her mother is a diabetic, though Armande continues to indulge in the chocolate despite her condition.Vianne also develops a friendship with a troubled woman, Josephine (Lena Olin), who is a victim of brutal beatings by her alcoholic husband Serge (Peter Stormare). Vianne arranges for Luc and his grandmother to see each other in the chocolaterie, where they develop a close bond. Armande laments that her cold, devoutly pious daughter Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss) will not let Armande see her grandson Luc because Caroline thinks Armande is a "bad influence". Her friendly and alluring nature begins to win the villagers over one by one, causing Reynaud to openly speak against her for tempting the people during a time of abstinence and self-denial.One of the first to fall under the spell of Vianne and her confections is Armande (Judi Dench), her elderly, eccentric landlady. Vianne, who wears more provocative clothing, does not go to church, and has an illegitimate child, does not fit in well with the town's people, but is nevertheless optimistic about her business. Vianne opens a Chocolaterie just as the villagers begin observing the forty days of Lent, much to the chagrin of Reynaud. In the winter of 1959, they travel to a tranquil French village that closely adheres to tradition, as led by the village mayor, Comte Paul de Reynaud (Alfred Molina). Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche), an expert chocolatier, drifts across Europe with her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol).
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