Control freaks, battered wives, the homeless, a woman as entrepreneur, old school Calvinism versus modern flexible Christianity? So many contemporary social issues all in one seemingly innocent tale about the therapeutic effects of chocolate?

Yep, Chocolat has them all - and then some.

On one level, this film is a light and easy allegory which is both thought-provoking and very easy on the eyes. But if you're looking for substance or a profound message, unfortunately it falls short of the mark.

It can't be dismissed out of hand however. You sort of want it to make that leap from whim to timeless moral. After all, it's so pretty and endearing - the picture perfect village, the delightful chocolaterie and all the beautiful people.

Juliette Binoche plays the change agent who arrives in the French village with her daughter merely to set up shop and sell chocolate - or so it seems.

She looks radiant, she's easy to get along with and anxious to help any neighbour in need. But there's something impish about her and that's when you expect the fun to begin - and it does, sort of. This is where some real tension, some surprises would have helped. It is simply too predictable.

Somehow you know where her relationships are going with the uptight mayor (Alfred Molina), the free-spirited riverboat dweller (Johnny Depp) and her cranky neighbour (Judi Dench). They play their parts well, particularly Dench who seems able to transform any part into something solid.

What's missing is an element of authenticity. The village setting is too phony. The Latin American interlude falls completely flat and, while English may have become the world's international language, it sounds cheesy in 'le petit village'.

The greatest film about the power of food to act as a catalyst for healing differences between people and unlocking their repressions is surely the 1987 Danish classic, Babette's Feast. Did Chocolat find its inspiration in that story? If so, maybe it should have been in French with subtitles and with a dark-eyed gypsy as the heroine. To stand the test of time, even a fairytale needs an edge.