MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT (NIGHTCAP)

France, 1999, 99 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Huppert, Jacques Dutronc, Anna Mouglalis, Michel Robin.
Directed by Claude Chabrol.

Merci Pour le Chocolat (Nightcap) is a thriller by Claude Chabrol, a veteran of over forty years of film-making. Beginning as a New Wave critic and writer, he began making films in the late `50s and continued through the `60s and `70s as a master of suspense thrillers and character studies. During the `80s and `90s he had mixed success - but produced many excellent films including this one.

Isabel Huppert appears for Chabrol for the sixth time (such films as Violet Nozieres, Madame Bovary, The Ceremony, The Story of a Woman). The film was written by Chabrol's wife Aurore, and the musical score composed by his son.

The film pays homage to Hitchcock and reinforces Chabrol's belief that for the wide audience the psychological thriller is the best way of being a moral fable. Drawing elements from an American novel by Charlotte Cornwall, Chabrol has given us a portrait of perversity (his definition of someone who is good but using the good for evil becomes totally evil). Isabel Huppert is excellent as the wife who sees herself as worth little but who fulfils everyone's needs, is always helping. However, inside she wants to dominate - and this leads to cruelty and destruction.

The film is beautifully made on Lake Geneva, has a very strong cast and, with two of its characters concert pianists, has a wide range of classical music to supplement the score.

1. An entertaining and interesting psychological thriller? A moral fable? A study of evil - in seemingly ordinary situations?

2. The Swiss settings, the lake at Geneva, the mansions - a world of affluence? The musical score, the range of classical music, the background score?

3. The title and its irony? The background of the chocolate factory, its success and traditions, its economic needs at the end of the 20th century? Mika and her role as the heiress (an adopted child) and her power control in the company? The use of drinking chocolate throughout the film? Her malice turning towards her stepson and poisoning him? The homage to Hitchcock's Suspicion - with poisoned drinks at night, their being carried upstairs, and the dangerous driving on coastal roads?

4. The opening with the wedding - and the gossip? Mika and her husband marrying again? The background of a second marriage, the son, the death of the wife? The comparison with the gossip by the two women and their children at lunch? The introduction of the connection between the families - and the story of the possibilities of the babies being changed at birth, Alex and his coming and getting the wrong child, the explanation by the Pollet family?

5. Truth and lies? The truth about the children? The truth about the artificial conception? The wishes of parents about their children? Parents and step-parents and stepchildren? The curiosity on the part of the children and what it can lead to?
6. Mika and Isabel Huppert's screen presence? Enigmatic? Doing good, contemplating evil and doing evil? The wedding, the memories of her marrying at the age of 18? The divorce? Living together and remarriage? Her continued patronage of Alex? The household and her wealth? Seeing her at the board meeting, her listening to the old man, yet ridiculing him? Her decision about what charities to support - and eliminating pain? Promising to discuss with him, yet mocking him? The indications of a desire for power? At home, her love for her husband, her continued care for her stepson, fussing about him, giving him the chocolate to drink?

7. Andre and his background, marrying Mika, the ceremony, his concern about Guillaume? The background of the divorce, the expectations of the chocolate factory family? His role as a pianist and international success? His marrying his wife, the birth of the child - and the confusion? Her death? His response to Jeanne, the possibility of her being his daughter, interest in the music, discussions, training? His pleasure in having her in the house? Performance? Correcting Jeanne? His suspicions of his wife, Guillaume and Jeanne going for the sleeping pills? His phone call? His probing of her evil?

8. Jeanne and her mother, her boyfriend and the playing tennis, the sexual liaison? Poised and assured? The story of the possible change at birth? Listening to it, acting on it by going to visit Andre and Mika? Impressions, straightforwardness, with Guillaume, the good impression? Mika deliberately dropping the chocolate - or not? Jeanne's suspicions, taking the pullover to be analysed by her boyfriend? The results? Her second visit, warning Guillaume about his stepmother? Mika's proposition and the visit to her mother? Their discussion about Jeanne, Mika's philanthropy? Her always being reassuring about the birth exchange? Ringing Jeanne's mother, inviting Jeanne to live in? Jeanne's response, her mother's response? The relationship between the two, her mother telling her the truth about the artificial insemination and the response of her father? Her anger, going to the house, the day of playing the piano with Andre? The meal, helping with the wash-up, the drugged coffee? The drive and the crash?

9. Guillaume, neglected, ineffectual? His response to the wedding, to Mika, to his father? Suspicions of Jeanne? Her telling him and warning him? His believing her? His not drinking the chocolate, going to his room, Mika buying the videos? Changing the coffee cups? Going with Jeanne, the crash?

10. The background of the two different families, the possibility of the mix-up at birth, the possibilities of deceptions? The role of lies, truth? The role of goodness and evil? Perversity and the corrupting of good into destructive evil?