Between 'New Moon' & 'The Wolfman' try some werewolves without the angst in 'Blood and Chocolate'

In Bucharest, Romania, there exists a group of expatriates more unusual than we could ever imagine, they are loup-garou, humans with the ability to change into wolves. It was to this community that a very young Vivian was brought when hunters killed her parents and siblings in America after their true nature was discovered. Now nineteen, Vivian faces the possibility of becoming the pack leader Gabriel’s new mate, an idea she finds unappealing.

Aiden, an American expatriate of a different kind, is an artist making a living under the radar traveling through Europe. Late at night in a church dedicated to the loup-garou, they meet over the sketches of wolf-men he is preparing for a new graphic novel. The attraction is instant, but Vivian fears Aiden’s rejection when he finds out she is one of those mythical creatures and her own people’s response when they discover his research. Aiden begins pursuit as relentless as any hunting pack has ever been, risking his heart to win hers, naive to the situation he is stumbling into, for the real danger starts when a hunting pack of a far more deadly kind catches his scent.

From the producers of the Underworld series and adapted loosely from the young adult novel of the same name by Annette Curtis Klause, Blood and Chocolate is devoid of the angst we have come to associate with teen supernatural stories. Filmed in Bucharest, it has an old world feel though still bright enough not to be gothic in presentation. Those two things combined with the distinct lack of brooding make the story more believable and not a whiny ‘woe is me’ mess.

While Blood and Chocolate is essentially a love story, there are also good action scenes and the changes from human to wolf are not overdone. The exclusion of long transformation sequences may seem to be a budgetary restraint, but stylistically it serves to highlight that the loup-garou become wolves and are not ‘werewolves’. The movie takes the myth and makes it its own by weaving details together into a plausible society, from the loup-garou sense of superiority right down to the affectations of the pack underlings.

Another standout feature is the soundtrack, which is hip and alternative without being annoyingly so. From songs like Lunar Click’s ‘A Forest’ to the Shiny Toy Guns’ cover of ‘Stripped’ by Depeche Mode, the tone is set masterfully, enhancing rather than diminishing each scene. The music alone is worth the trip.

Any lovers of the supernatural looking for a non-horror movie to enjoy should not overlook Blood and Chocolate. The story is compelling, the music fantastic and the actors turn in convincing performances. It fits well into the PG-13 rating. Adult enough to appeal to older viewers while retaining the young adult presentation of the original story; this movie can be watched by a teen and their parents and by anyone who enjoys a good movie.