Merci pour le chocolat

...an astute blend of social satire and mischievous suspense.

Chabrol's attention to detail is every bit as terrifying (watch as Mika recreates the past with a pot of boiling water) as his atmospheric use of sound and close-up.

...it's clear why Huppert continues to be Chabrol's star of choice. She's as chicly outfitted and coldly calculating as the film itself...

Once again, Isabelle Huppert, here starring as Mika, takes on and owns the role of a totally repugnant person.

...the movie itself is like Hitchcock's ''Rebecca'' reshot for House & Garden, with all the ghosts pulled out of the closet.