Cioccolato bollente

A great movie based on what should have been a very weak plot. Most American viewers will probably only recognise Jonathan Pryce (and potentially Vanessa Redgrave), but the rest of the cast do themselves proud.

There is the kind, but absolutely incompetent and differential junior management trainee that is a klutz that causes the problems to begin in the first place - Ian Littleton

The evil manager without any scruples or morals (and little commonsense) - Mr Farris

The kind, but weak and pitiful old owner of the company that has little choice but to follow along with Farris' plans - Mr. Chumley

The dingbat, older secretary, "People don't want chocolates with cows and pigs in them. People want chocolates with people in them". - Ethel

The clumsy, witless scientist/chemist who falls for Ian. She's a scatterbrain, but very buxom and sexy (played by Sammi Davis)- Felicity

Finally there's Mrs. Garza (Vanessa Redgrave). There's no way to properly describe her - aging seductress, blue collar lover, uninhibited, amusing. I'm not sure if others will love her character or have slight shudders as they remember the date they couldn't escape from. You've got to see her!

The movie flows along reasonably enough; however, there are a few places where it drags and the ending seems a bit weak and ill contrived.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone that needs a slightly sick comedy. It generally won't have you laughing (if it does you might need professional help), at least not out loud, but like a train wreck you just can't stop watching.

Exploring themes that have been covered before to varying degrees of success by Sondheim (SWEENEY TODD) and director Antonia Bird in the even darker horror-comedy RAVENOUS, PASSIONS is a marvelous concept, but it seems as if something got lost in the translation from play to screenplay. Pythonites take heed; Terry Jones and Michael Palin wrote the play SECRETS, then adapted that for the screenplay, but this is Swiftian satire that's pitch black even by Python's standards.

I guess a considerable part of what the problems are with this movie lie in Giles Foster's direction. He doesn't seem to be sure if he's making an all-out slap-schticky farce, or a savage "veddy-veddy" British comedy of human foibles and frailties. In trying to give us the best of both worlds, the film suffers instead from a kind of unfocused schizophrenia.

What wonders would have been wrought if Terry Gilliam had directed, and Palin had taken the starring role (which seems to be written for him anyway), thereby completing the Python connection? Alas, we'll never know, but as it is, it's not half bad, and you could do MUCH worse.

From the very beginning when some poor worker falls into the churning funnel of a vat of chocolate, this delightful, brilliant comedy is ready to have you falling out of your chair. Once you accept to suspend disbelief, you can't help but enjoy the wonderful wacky characters that inhabit this film.

Vanessa Redgrave gives a brilliant and memorable performance as the passion filled widow who takes the meek protagonist in hand and knocks his socks off. She is absolutely hilarious.

I can't believe the poor average rating that this film has garnered so far, and I can only guess that the people who rated this film lack the capacity to understand black humor.

Any fans of Monty Python, Mr. Bean, or Tracy Ullman will probably "get" the humor of this quiet, under-appreciated masterpiece.

Unless this a remake, the original (I think in b/w and from the late 1960's), then this is a bonus on the DVD of Ripping yarns.

The original story is about someone accidentally falling into a vat of the chocolate mixture, but instead of the stuff being thrown away it is made into chocolate bars and sold much to the disgust of many. However the new taste proves a hit and the trend is continued with other people being killed off and added to the stuff.

I think it is from the late 1960's but it could be wrong, and it might be early 1970's, but it is quite dated in appearance, picture, sound and general acting - unless they're being ironic in style...

I had never heard of this film until a few months ago when I saw it being advertised on ebay and decided to give it a try. Written by Monty Python regulars, Michael Palin and Terry Jones, this film has the feel of a Norman Wisdom film but thankfully without the pathos stage that seems to form a staple element of Mr. Wisdom's comedies.

Ian Littleton (Tyler Butterworth) is the hapless new employee who, by a tragic misunderstanding adds the human ingredient into Chumley's chocolate. At first, the new flavour is unpopular but gradually the public take to it so much that it becomes the must-have confectionery. The problem is, of course, that more humans must be found to to maintain the chocolate's success and no stone is left unturned in the search for more of the magic ingredient.

The film moves along at a fair pace with all the cast giving first class performances. Most notably, Vanessa Redgrave looks to be having the most fun playing the predatory suburban housewife, Mrs Garza. Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) displays her professionalism as the scatty secretary, Ethel; and Freddie Jones is the bumbling Mr Chumley. I think this film deserves stars.