Bittersweet Chocolate (2014)

STORY: SLOOOOOOOW! OMG SLOW! Essentially it's about James being pimped out for money and drugs. And you only find that out if you managed to stay awake through the whole thing. Seriously, they must spend 20 minutes on baking a cake! Zzz

ACTING/CAST: Only reason I wanted to see this was because ?Gun? is in it. Don't much care about anyone else in this.

MUSIC: Um, there's a song at the end that sounds kinda cool.

REWATCH VALUE: Bathtub scene only, hehehe.

OVERALL: Pointlessly slow. Go watch the bathtub scene cut on YouTube. It's the only part of this movie that was interesting. I hope the sequel is better...

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There are some weird things in that movie. The camera never moves, which create or at least add to the slowness of it all. But that's still okay. In some scenes though, with dialogues, characters don't appear together on screen??? The bathtub scene for example.
What killed the movie for me though is the absence of links between the scenes. One moment, James stand up. The next Mac (who we never saw before) is in a bathtub with someone moaning? After that, there's a cake scene. With a guy who will be forever a mystery (except if he appears in the sequel) and all we know about him is that he's blind and he does not stick to the recipe.
As for how the movie ended, well... Yeah, it was surprising. But honestly? The actors didn't convey any emotions at all, and as much as I love and admire Gun Atthapan and always wish to discover great actors, it is hard to convey emotions and to portray a character when one doesn't not understand the script. Because I'm pretty sure none of them did.

That movie is a total waste of potential. The story could have been good. The actors could have been great. But what I guess is the "artistic vision" of the guy behind the camera and his will to make a "smart movie" ruin it all.

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If you're looking for a nice Gun Attaphan treat, this isn't it

But if you're looking for a beautiful arthouse film about the intermingling of sweetness and bitterness in life, you just might have found a good one. It's definitely not for everyone, it's definitely for me. 9/10. The cinematography is gorgeous and the layers of the story unfold in a way that mesmerised me, but I dock a couple of points because bittersweet cake and other foods have honestly been used better as metaphors in other films. Still, it works fine, the acting is great and the soundtrack adds to the storytelling. There's a decline that seems a bit rushed, but overall the pacing has a languid yet tight and slightly claustrophobic feeling that really appeals to me.

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Sweet or bitter?

I'm not sure... To be honest at the beginning I did not understand this movie... I watched Playboy and the Gang of Cherry before this. Probably these two movies are coneccted with James. First thing. Where is the plot in this one? The scenes with making the cake are definately too long.. And who is the blind guy? Someone said that only bath scene it can be to rewatch value and it can be true.. Because in all of this is nothing happen. Do not waste your time if you do not want to overthinking. Right now after watching this I'm wasting my time again to try understand this. Propably this have deeper psychological meaning or something... a lot of hidden meanings... everything was it happened is circle about cake... A cake should be something sweet and sweets can be addiction. What happen when we have to much sweet in life? Too much adictions? The sweet can change to something bitter. They do not have problems with money - they rich. The mother do not have any attention to her son. She is always busy her own interests. But she wanted to suprise her son with a birthday cake. She tried made better cake than the last one. (still more sweets)... This kid called James probably can feel lonely and lost in life. Something is missing in his life. It looks like he has an affair with this guy . And this guy take care of him for his own pleasure... But new cake which he proposed to James have bitter meaning. A new addiction which can give him better feelings than chocolate. James is not a kid right now. He is older. He can and he want to try something new. But inside himself, he is still lost little boy which need somebody who can go shoulder to shoulder next to him and show him a way. Chocolate is dark. The same like our life. This movie shout to me: Which way in life you will choose: sweet or bitter one? - You should choose wisely because if you make a first step, you cant back - the same like James... Sometimes is too late to turn back.... I think a film was boring but it has something inside what makes you reflect

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Sombre et sibyllin

Un film sombre et particulièrement énigmatique que j'ai beaucoup apprécié. Je pense qu'il me faudra plusieurs nouveaux visionnage pour réussir à le décortiquer comme il faut.

On retrouve ici Gun dans un rôle bien différent de ceux des séries toutes mignonnes comme Puppy Honey ou Theory of Love, il ressemble plus au Gun de Blue Hour que j'avais beaucoup apprécié. De cette façon, il nous montre que sa palette d'acteur est très différentes, il peut incarner des rôles diamétralement opposés même si on le reconnait par certains côtés, c'est vraiment un artiste accompli pour son âge.

Pour en revenir au film, j'aimerai réellement voir Playboy and the Gang of Cherry dont il est le préquel, pour me faire une vision d'ensemble et peut-être apporter des réponses à certains questionnements que je me pose sur la présente œuvre qui me reste, somme toute, fort sibylline.

ADDENDUM : j'ai vu Playboy and the Gang of Cherry, critique complète visible sur sa fiche (attention spoilers)

Maintenant, à vous de vous faire votre avis.

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well this is one way to waste 1hr and 2mins... if there was a message here, other then how drugs can destroy ur life i missed it - i don't get WTF Bittersweet Chocolate Cake had to do with anything - the mothers endless, pointless baking scene were just leaching the life out of this movie - let alone my love for Chocolate Cake bittersweet or otherwise - what was the point of her endless ramblings with that other annoying female? filler?!? or the younger guy she was dating is Playboy and the reason he wanted to take her son to the countryside, was cause he wanted him and her walking into the bathroom catching them together was "shocking" not cause her son is gay, but cause her bf is doing her son?!?

James for sure didn't take a bite out of the cake she baked - and there was no context as to how he got to know Playboy. or what happened after the mother caught on her son gay -

even the added violence - cause Playboy's "shit" was missing, was a WTF moment - and why James hooking(?) cause his mother tossed him out after catching him in the bathroom - like an actual coherent plot would be great - symbolism is all good and well, but if u got a message to convey - sometimes dumbing it down helps better getting ur point across - but whatever... weird one off

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