‘The Chocolate Club’
Directed by
Deborah Hadfield
Experience Love and Comfort in Deborah Hadfield’s Masterful ‘The Chocolate Club’
From the eyes of Parijit Bhattacharya
Deborah Hadfield is a writer and director best known for her critically acclaimed works like, “We Too Together,” “The Kindness Of Strangers,” and “Sweetest Love.” Her recent romantic drama feature film “The Chocolate Club” has garnered several awards with a lot of appreciation from all over the world.
Deborah Hadfield directed romantic drama feature film “The Chocolate Club” is a poignant journey through love, friendship, hope and faith. The film stars Julian Lewis Jones, Josh Taylor, Jeremy Edwards, Craig Russell, Kate Edney, Aiden Kane and Clare Hingott in pivotal roles. The film is penned and also produced by Deborah Hadfield. The story is set in Cornwall, in winter where seven strangers from different walks of life meet Stephen, a therapist who offers fresh brownies and friendship to the seven strangers at his group named, “The Chocolate Club.” The story travels through the complex relationships of love and faith. How these seven strangers find themselves through the sweetness of chocolate forms the crux of the story.
Overview
The film opens with strong visuals and a beautiful voiceover stating how love, hope, faith and love soothe our souls. The film then introduces the main seven characters. A heartbroken Rose and her friend Simon, chocoholic Oscar, Nurse Annette, “Gwenna Chocolate Shop” widowed owner George and his son Dean. They met a therapist at “Gwenna Chocolate Shop” who offers them fresh brownies and friendship at his group named, “The Chocolate Club.”From there, we discover everyone is dealing with something. Rose is dealing with a heartbreak and her friend Simon struggles to confess his love to Rose. On the other hand, chocoholic Oscar inspires Rose to be more cheerful and bold. Dean hopes Nurse Annette helps his father George to recover from his wife’s death. All seven strangers slowly become friends as they share sea walks, chocolate making, and a series of joyful moments and sharing their thoughts with each other.
Review
The film wonderfully showcases the complexities of relationships and the longing for love. One of the main highlights of the film is the visual presentation. Cinematographer Tim Boydell wonderfully shot the whole film. Every scene is eye soothing which goes with the tone and mood of the film. The cosy interiors provide comfort to our eyes. The next highlight of the film is the performance of every actor. Julian Lewis Jones just nails in his character. From his lively smile and calm demeanour, everything is pitch perfect. Other actors like Josh Taylor, Jeremy Edwards, Craig Russell have also done wonderful jobs. The music by Phil Mountford is very calming and serene. The music works best with the emotional scenes, elevating them to another level. The writing by Deborah Hadfield wonderfully balances the lighter and sombre tone throughout the film. How the film draws a parallel between chocolate and life is praiseworthy.
Conclusion
In short, Deborah Hadfield written and directed romantic drama film “The Chocolate Club” excels in every way. The characters successfully provide us a sense of comfort and make us understand the importance of love, hope and faith. With great performance and a simple yet complex story, the film is a must watch for everyone.