Les jardins du roi

Until now, I've never seen Kate Winslet portray a character in any movie that I could connect with. I've always thought she was miscast in Titanic. In A Little Chaos though, she draws us out n, bit by bit, by showing a great deal of vulnerability, a person bruised, but not quite broken by her paifully past. I could not hold back thevtears when she finally faces what haunts her. Good movie about a gentle soul trading a potentially treacherous path in life, willing to reach for what seems barely possible.

Love period dramas. Am a big fan of Alan Rickman, one of the biggest acting inspirations of my childhood (mostly for Snape in the 'Harry Potter' films and 'Sense and Sensibility', but getting older love even more in 'Die Hard' playing one of the greatest screen villains). Also wanted how he would fare in his second film as director. The concept sounded nice enough and the cast (with Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci, Matthias Schoenaets, Helen McCrory and Rickman himself) are immensely talented.

'A Little Chaos' is one of those films that has people liking it but judging from the mixed critical reception it is one of those films that hasn't clicked with everybody. It is not hard to see why. It may not be a consistent film. It may not be a remarkable film. It may not be great. For me though, 'A Little Chaos' was a little charmer with many great things and enough to be enchanted by. Couldn't help feeling emotional too, knowing that it was one of Rickman's last roles and projects, 2015's very good 'Eye in the Sky' being his last (he's excellent in that), before his ultimely death two years ago.

Getting the flaws out of the way, there are parts that drag a little and are a little muddled as a result of the story being very slight with not an awful lot to it.

Did find too that the romantic chemistry between Winslet and Schoenaerts didn't convince. There are parts where it is nice enough but there is never enough passion and it doesn't really bloom in development. Schoenaerts being more engaged would have helped things, found him a little too low-key on occasions in his scenes with Winslet.

Which is a shame because his performance is otherwise quite dignified and sympathetic and is actually much more animated and passionate in the more dramatic scenes with McCrory. Their chemistry did have intensity, and in a fiery sense making for some highlight scenes, lifted quite significantly by the atypically venomous performance of McCrory. All the other performances are without complaints too, with the radiant and touching Winslet coming out on top. Rickman is suitably droll and very amiable while Tucci is delightfully flamboyant.

Visually, 'A Little Chaos' looks wonderful. The exquisite and evocative costumes and the stunningly picturesque buildings and scenery are a feast for the eyes beautifully shot. The music score is pleasant and harmonious with the atmosphere. There is a nice mix of subtle droll comedy, poignant emotion and tense drama, while the script is uneven and with not an awful lot of substance it is at least coherent and thoughtful. The story mostly compels despite its slightness, Rickman being mistaken for the head gardener is a highlight and Sabine is written with heart. Rickman directs quite adeptly.

Overall, inconsistent but charming. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A rare gem in the world of contemporary movies, this story has sympathetic characters. I thought they all but disappeared from the screen. It is purely fictional, but I like to believe it could have happened. Schoenaerts plays Andre Le Notre, the real landscape architect who designed the park of Versailles for King Louis XIV. Andre is interviewing other landscape gardeners to help him with the job, among them the only woman, fictional Sabine De Barra (Winslet).

They don't meet so cute, but Le Notre is intrigued and Sabine is hired. In the society of the time, Sabine is a bit of a low class oddity who manages to make friends in high places. Admitted to court, she attracts attention and curiosity for her beauty and skills, but she also attract Le Notre's wife jealousy.

Le Notre is unhappily married with his unfaithful Madame, but Madame is well connected at court and sort of blackmails him into staying with her. However, that will not stop the slowly burning romance between Andre and Sabine.

Sabine holds back not only because Andre is married but also because of her mysterious tragic past.

We finally get to know Sabine's sad history during one of the most moving scenes of the film. Sabine talks to the court ladies and discovers that they also share tragic losses, although at court it is forbidden to talk about death. Once able to face her past, Sabine can finally move into her future.

Winslet is really good as Sabine and Schoenaerts seems particularly gifted for the role of the strong, silent, lover. He had similar roles in The Danish Girl and Suite Francaise and was equally good. Their scenes together are moving and tender, without any of the artificial slickness or aggressiveness of contemporary romances.Rickman playing Louis XIV as a rather melancholic man who takes a fatherly fancy to Sabine.

The music is not overbearing period and the costumes are absolutely fantastic. The final scene looks like is taking place in the real, still existing, rock ballroom.

Great movie, a balm for the soul.

A Little Chaos (2014) is a British film co-written, starring, and directed by Alan Rickman. Rickman plays the French King Louis XIV, Matthias Schoenaerts plays the landscape architect André Le Notre, and Kate Winslet plays Sabine De Barra. Madame Like Le Notre, De Barra is also a landscape architect. She's hired by Le Notre to help with the magnificent gardens at Versailles. However, this isn't a movie about gardens or gardening. (In fact, Winslet says that, unlike her character, she's not really a gardener.)

The film is really about human emotions--love, hate, happiness, and sadness. The gardens are just the plot device that brings together all of the main characters in one place at one time.

Matthias Schoenaerts is excellent in this movie, as he was in "Far from the Madding Crowd." However, as Farmer Oak he had to be intelligent but grounded in the necessities of his situation. In "A Little Chaos," he has to have superior intelligence that soars with creative ideas and solutions.

Rickman is a fine actor. His perpetual sneer in the Harry Potter movies has been replaced almost by benevolence in this film. From what we know of the historical "Sun King," he wasn't exactly the kindly, gentle monarch that is portrayed in "A Little Chaos."

Kate Winslet is a wonderful actor, and she looks right for the role. Of course, she's beautiful, but her beauty is distinct, intelligent, and individual--she doesn't look like just another cookie-cutter movie star.

The plot is very tightly constricted--almost all of it takes place at the court in Versailles, which is a huge, but claustrophobic, setting. Everyone intrigues with everyone else, assignations are made, vows are made and betrayed, and no one can trust anyone.

What's interesting to me is that I was caught up in this atmosphere. I wanted to see De Barra complete her project. I couldn't understand why the king wouldn't put more money into the gardens at Versailles.

When I thought about it, I realized there isn't a single poor, miserable, hungry person shown in the film. The only non-elite characters we see are interchangeable servants, grooms, and garden assistants. They may not have a happy life, but at least they were paid and fed.

We know historically that the French poor suffered terrible hardships during this time. It was with taxes torn from them that Louis XIV paid for his gardens at Versailles. However, as was probably true in real life in 17th Century France, the nobles were protected and insulated from the people and their suffering. That's the way this film is structured--we see the politics at court, and we see the garden moving forward, but we don't see the squalor of ordinary life. There's no remedy for this. Your only choice as a viewer is to take it or leave it. You can't change it.

We saw this movie at the excellent Little Theatre in Rochester, NY. It will work somewhat better on the large screen, but it will work well enough on DVD. I recommend it, despite its drawbacks.

As I write this review, the movie has a horrendous 6.3 rating. It's interesting that women gave it a 6.7, while men gave it a 6.0. Nothing about the film suggested to me that it would be much more popular among woman than among men.

Although this isn't a superb movie, I don't think a rating of 6.3 does justice to it. I think it's worth seeing, and I would recommend it.

I watched this film on a whim and although I don't prefer period pieces, this had me hooked pretty early on. I say hooked, more hypnotised because as I watched, I tuned out everything except the screen.

Alan Rickman wrote the screenplay for this and also directed it and I think he made a stunning job of both.

It never feels false or pretentious, the dialogue is sometimes minimalist but everything you need to hear. The story flows like the water over her fountains.

I have visited Versailles and the garden that was built in the film is actually there, but I have no knowledge of it's true history. And neither do I care because it's a fabulous story, with fabulous actors, who bring romance, and drama, and mystery, and fun, and dignity to their roles.

I spent almost 2 hours in sheer pleasure with this film.