![]() Even at the height of his popularity, he finds himself arrested on the street. Bigotry dogs the performer at every turn kids scream at his teeth-gnashing savage routine, while envious rivals try to keep him down. Here, the leap from loincloth to top hat proves giant in perception but tiny in reality, with director Roschdy Zem unafraid of tackling the obvious factor that complicated Chocolat's career. While their acclaimed double act takes them to Paris' prestigious Nouveau Cirque, amusing the masses and earning their respect are two very different things. His fortunes seem to change after he joins forces with English clown George Foottit (James Thierrée), and yet much still stays the same. ![]() When the movie introduces the former Afro-Cuban slave, he's playing a cannibal in a regional circus and considered a novelty amongst a cast of white performers. Examining how he became one of France's forgotten comics is as much a part of Monsieur Chocolat as charting his humorous feats. If you don't recognise Padilla's name, the film will soon help you understand why. The latter is actor Omar Sy, who previously impressed audiences in The Intouchables, Mood Indigo and X-Men: Days of Future Past. The former is Rafael Padilla, aka Chocolat, the first black clown to star in the French big top. In this handsome showbiz biopic, a late 19th/early 20th century comedic pioneer inspires a film-stealing performance from a current acting talent. One great turn inspires another in Monsieur Chocolat - and what stellar, standout turns they are.
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