Chocolat: Claire Denis’ gentle and serene drama follows a young woman who remembers her infant years in still-colonial Cameroon as she travels through Africa. That part of the narrative centers on the family’s household servant and serves as evidence that still waters run deep. The film and the acting are very quiet, but there is an enormous undercurrent of suppressed emotions, as the relationships between the family and the servants showcase the many ways that racism and power relations can rear their heads. Isaach de Bankolé plays the gentle and efficient servant with great dignity and a hint of how much is buried; Giulia Boschi plays the beautiful and imperious lady of the house rather nicely; François Cluzet is also nice as her military and absent but caring husband. Cinematographer Robert Alazraki captures beautifully both the stunning landscape and the characters. Composer Abdullah Ibrahim contributes with very fine tracks for the sessions that bookend the film.