Chocolat
By Claire Denis
1988 | 104 min | Timeless
A French woman returns to her childhood home in Cameroon, formerly a colonial outpost, where she's flooded by memories, particularly of her servant.
François Cluzet
ActorFrançois Cluzet, born on September 21, 1955, in Paris, is a renowned French actor with an international reputation. He began his acting training at an early age, taking classes at prestigious Parisian acting schools at the age of 17, and made his stage debut in 1976. His career includes impressive work in arthouse and Hollywood productions.
He made a significant contribution as an actor in CHOCOLAT (1988, directed by Claire Denis), a semi-autobiographical drama that reflects on the childhood of a young woman in French Cameroon. Cluzet plays the protagonist's husband.
François Cluzet gained international fame for his leading role in The Intouchables (2011, directed by Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache), in which he plays Philippe, a paraplegic millionaire. The film became a worldwide box office hit and a modern classic.
He celebrated his breakthrough in France in 2006 with the psychological thriller Tell No One (original title: Ne le dis à personne, directed by Guillaume Canet), in which he plays a doctor involved in a murder case. For this role, he received the César Award for Best Actor in 2007.
Other important roles followed in films such as One for the Road (2009, directed by Philippe Godeau), in which he plays an alcoholic on a journey of self-discovery.
François Cluzet remains a fixture of European cinema. His work captivates with its nuanced acting, emotional depth, and artistic ambition—whether in intimate arthouse films or big crowd-pleasers.
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