Chocolate (2005) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Mick Garris directed this entry in the Masters of Horror series. A recently divorced man (Henry Thomas) tries to get his life back on track with the help of a diet. However, after he gets off the diet and eats some chocolate, he begins to see a woman and feel everything she feels, physically and sexually. The man soon finds himself becoming in love so he sets out to find this mysterious woman. I haven't seen many of the director's other films but I really enjoyed this one. Thomas is very good and very believable in the role and the supporting players do nice work as well. What really works well is the mystery of how Thomas is being connected to this woman. Violence wise, this is a rather tame entry but that benefits this film very well.

In Chicago, the lonely Jamie (Henry Thomas) works in the food laboratory of a company developing flavors with his best friend Wally (Matt Frewer). Jamie divorced from his wife a couple of months ago and misses his son. Jamie is on diet but after eating a chocolate, he becomes psychically connected to a beautiful woman, seeing through her eyes and feeling her sensations. Jamie falls in love for the stranger woman, until he witnesses her stabbing and killing her lover. His connection ends and Jamie becomes obsessed for the woman; using his memories, he discloses through the driving license of her car and some landscapes that the mysterious woman lives in Vancouver. Jamie travels to meet and help her and once in Canada, he finds that the dead man was a plastic artist and his beloved stranger is the model Catherine (Lucie Laurier). Jamie tries to approach to Catherine with tragic consequences."Chocolate" is an intriguing story of "Masters of Horrors". The dialog of Jamie full of blood with the camera, questioning "- Have you ever been in love?" captivates the attention of the viewer while he discloses the weird events. The film is well developed in a low pace, increasing the mystery and curiosity with the weird situation Jamie is living. Unfortunately, the resolution of the plot is conventional leading to a disappointing conclusion. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Chocolate – O Sabor da Obsessão" ("Chocolate – The Taste of the Obsession")

In Chicago, the lonely Jamie works in the food laboratory of a company developing flavors with his best friend Wally. Jamie divorced from his wife a couple of months ago and misses his son. Jamie is on diet but after eating a chocolate, he becomes psychically connected to a beautiful woman, seeing through her eyes and feeling her sensations.The name "Mick Garris" is not a household horror name, at least not for many less-seasoned viewers. If they know him, it might be as the director of Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers", "The Stand" or simply as the man running the show behind "Masters of Horror". Garris has made a niche for himself largely focusing on King adaptations. He brings with him Matt Frewer and Henry Thomas, both of whom he has worked with repeatedly.Many have said this is one of the weaker films in the "Masters of Horror" series. Along with Tobe Hooper's "Dance of the Dead", it ranks as the least appreciated film of the first season. But the truth is, it is not a bad film at all. Just different. No serial killers, no slashers, no aliens, no zombies and no post-apocalyptic world. Just a man with visions and a woman he becomes obsessed with.If you are looking for gore and guts, this is the wrong film. One scene has a little blood, but overall this is pretty tame. However, the other horror staple -- sex -- is here, and in multiple variations. If you like your horror tales to be a little more sensual, that is probably a good thing.Regarding the casting, Matt Frewer is something of a horror and science fiction icon. This is another thing "Masters of Horror" seems to be good at, plenty of cameos. And here he is playing a 45-year old lab technician by day (who looks more like 60) and punk rocker by night. A perfect casting choice.There is also one key scene that stands out as what will make this film memorable. Without giving too much away, there is a part that is in some ways very much like the grotesque assault scene from "Strange Days", except now it is inverted and becomes incredibly welcome. It is safe to say the kind of sexual pleasure that takes place in this film you will never see in any other film again, which is almost too bad.Keep an open mind on "Chocolate". It is not gory, it is not even scary in the traditional sense... but the storytelling is decent and it is certainly one of the most unique tales in the "Masters of Horror" series.Additionally, the DVD provides a few bonuses. Some behind the scenes features, an interview with Garris. A commentary where Garris talks not only about this film, but the "Masters of Horror" series in general. What is most interesting is how many years this script was around getting revised, going from short story to feature to "Masters of Horror". And even a clip of Garris interacting with Roger Corman, the godfather of modern horror and science fiction.

I just submitted a comment for the "Masters of Horror" episode 'Incident on and Off a Mountain Road,' in which I claimed that the series' central problem was restricting filmmakers to 60-minute TV restraints. However, to rebut some of the negative comments on "Chocolate" (by the way, how on EARTH can you call Eli Roth a 'master' of ANYTHING?), I will also say that the series deserves a bit of leeway--in comparison to the directors' feature films, of course these TV episodes are going to come up short by default, and shouldn't be assessed with the criteria one attaches to a film. Thus far, I have found each entry (released to DVD) passable, stylish entertainment that carries the signature of each director. "Chocolate," from series creator Mick Garris, is no exception; at this point, it's the best entry I've seen, perhaps because Garris is more familiar with the parameters of television. His story follows a divorced, artificial-flavoring creator named Jamie (Henry Thomas), who begins to have visions of a mysterious femme fatale; the episode follows his quest to locate the woman, who has committed murder and might not be altogether right in the head. While the thriller aspect is strong (even inspiring some comparisons to 2005's 'remote viewing' tale, "Suspect Zero"), Garris brings romantic as well as darkly humorous elements to the mix. Even if the denouement leaves a bit to be desired, "Chocolate" is a strong entry nonetheless.6.5 out of 10