i know absolutely nothing about chocolat before my viewing of it . i do not know anything about the story and the cast and the director and or anything about the film history . all i knew be it be a highly acclaimed french film . have i know more and i probably wouldn not have view the picture with an open mind . on paper and the premise doesn not sound interest to me . have i know what chocolat be about ahead of time and my interest while watch would have be limit . however and not know about the story help me enjoy it . throughout and i have no clue have to where the story would go and what the character would do and and what the end result would be . it be and if nothing else and not a predictable film . indeed and it could have be a the story be tell in flashback . tell a story in flashback be often a risky move on the part of the filmmaker . since the lead character be see in present day and the audience know she will remain alive . by use the flashback technique and director claire denis be able to ensure the audience that the young girl make it to adulthood without any serious physical damage and give the viewer the sense that chocolat be a story more about emotion than what be on the outside . a less filmmaker would give france a haggard look face and one that scream of a confused and unusual childhood . instead and denis present france a a beautiful girl and someone who look fine on the outside . it could be argue that chocolat be more about france mother since she be give far more screen time and though i believe it be ultimately about france . to me and what chocolat be really about be how a mother action affect her daughter . it be about how parent behavior stay with their offspring . france be not ruin by her mother action in the story and yet her mother action clearly make an impression on france . have france not be affect at all by her mother action and the flashback aspect would be irrelevant . for a movie that deal with two time period and the past and the present and chocolat be a very well pace and there be no scene of excess fat . none of the scene felt gratuitous or out of the place . the film have nice rhythm and the editing crisp and leave only what be necessary to tell the story . with a well told story and solid editing and and organize directing and chocolat be one of the good french film i have see . it be responsible for launch claire denis career and with good reason represent it an incredible directorial debut .