Chocolate is the desi adaptation of Bryan Singer's Hollywood flick THE USUAL SUSPECTS [Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro]. The story has been told in a very stylish way. The story is told in two different time frames: In the present and looking back at the events. However the sreenplay is miserable and how you wish that the director had paid more attention to the tight script and a powerful screenplay.
Storyline
'Chocolate' is about seven characters. Krish [Anil Kapoor] is a sharp and egotistical lawyer who has unmatched legal skills. Rocker [Suniel Shetty] is an obsessed lover, wanting to marry Sim. Pipi [Irrfan Khan] is a soulful thinker who prefers to tread the right path. Tubby [Arshad Warsi] is a happy go lucky guy. Sim [Tanushree Dutta] is a temptress. Devaa [Emran Hashmi] is a passionate musician. Monsoon [Sushma Reddy] is an associate of Krish.
The story starts off with Christmas Eve, London. While the snow-clad city gets ready to celebrate the festival, a series of bizarre incidents shatter the Christmas calm. Two luckless Indians [Irrfan Khan, Tanushree Dutta] find themselves hauled by the London police. Eminent lawyer Krish [Anil Kapoor] steps in at this juncture and decides to put up a legal fight to safeguard the rights of the Indians. He tries to peel off layer after layer, not realizing that the truth is something else. He realizes it only towards the end, but it's too late by then.
Directed by debutante Vivek Agnihotri, fails to keep the suspense intact in the film. Though the film has lots of twists and turns but at times you feel lost and confused. Action is less, while the film ahs too much dialogue which makes it boring. Also, the climax, even though it takes you by surprise, will not appeal to the masses. Director Vivek Agnihotri knows the power of technique and there's no denying that Chocolate is a refined product.
Performace-wise, Anil Kapoor is brilliant. Irrfan is terrific. Tanushree looks every inch a seductress and has done a great job. Suniel Shetty puts in a sincere effort. Arshad Warsi and Emraan Hashmi, competent actors both, are sidelined completely. Sushma Reddy is cute, but doesn't have much to do. Music is ok. Cinematography [Attar Singh Saini] is splendid. Overall, not a very entertaining film.
(src: seasonsindia.com)
