Le regole del caos

Belying its title, this is a charmingly well-ordered 'chamber-piece' movie about the creation of Louis XIV's spectacular grounds at Versailles. Landscape architect Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts) recruits - a surprise in 17th-century society - a woman to design one of the garden's water features. Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslet) is a widow; Andre is married to a heartless slut (Helen McCrory); so we can expect something more than potting to be happening in the potting shed before the gardens are finished! There's a lovely scene when Sabine finds King Louis (Alan Rickman) alone and unwigged on a bench and mistakes him for the chief gardener.

I worried that A LITTLE CHAOS might be like one of Peter Greenaway's movies, a triumph of style over substance, but it's got almost as much substance as an Oscar Wilde adaptation. There's no attempt to "Frenchify" the language in the style of 'Allo 'Allo: everyone speaks accentless English. Alan Rickman (who also directed) plays the king in the grand style of Lady Bracknell, and Winslet is perfectly cast as a woman of substance and quiet wisdom. Belgium's Monsieur Schoenaerts is having a busy year and although this is role is similar to the one he had in SUITE FRANCAISE he seems more comfortable in it this time. Stanley Tucci and Jennifer Ehle play the top dogs/bitches in His Majesty's court and I'd like to have seen more of them both.

OK this movie is a bit overdone and artificial (like the gardens at Versailles), but the cast are believable and lovable, and the story delivers comedy, romance and intrigue. If you liked THE DUCHESS, you will love this.

It was the perfect film to take my elderly mother to, given that we both enjoy gardening holidays in France.

The story is uncomplicated - in a time when gardens were the fashion statement of the rich, the French king wanted a statement to silence the globe. Matthias Schoenaerts' character is given this task which is mammoth given the bogland to be used and he hires Kate Winslet's character for one element of the garden. They fancy each other.

Alan Rickman has a few key scenes but Stanley Tucci steals the show entirely. Costumes and setting are lavish, as they should be.

I cannot comment on the historical accuracy but my immediate thought was 'How does she garden with the corset on when I wear nothing under my t-shirt?' As a gardener, nothing is ever done (weeding, composting, planting etc.) but this project did appear to have a somewhat finite end, which is a fantasy in itself.

More historical dramas with a gardening theme I say!

This is not the first of Alan Rickman's work that I have seen and once again, I was not disappointed. It seems to me that movies like this are over-looked and taken for granted by audiences who's attention spans are not strong enough to appreciate the subtleties and nuances in films such as this. It isn't full of action, you have to pay attention to the details. I love how easily I was swept into the emotions of the characters. This was well acted and is the first film I've seen in awhile that made me feel like I was watching a piece of well-crafted artwork. I laughed and cried and I don't do that during just any old movie :)

"A Little Chaos" is a period costume drama based on a simple fictional plot. It is set in 1682-1683 during the reign of King Louis XIV. A female "builder" is chosen to create a special project in the royal gardens at Versailles. A romance develops over time between she and the master gardener, the architect of Versailles, who chose her for the task.

Most of the performances are fine, but nothing special. Many of the characters seem wooden in the scenes in the royal household. The three main characters are Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslet), André Le Notré (Matthias Schoenaerts), and King Louis (Alan Rickman). Rickman directed the film but doesn't seem to be able to coax any spark out of most of the characters.

The story moves between Madame De Barra's landscaping work, and her awkward introduction to the court of the king and royal society. In between that, her acquaintance with the master builder, Le Notré, evolves into a romance. Some of the women of the royal household add interest to the story, but much of the king's huge entourage is portrayed as a den of ladies of rank with male courtesans. This seems a curious twist that doesn't add much to the main plot. Of course, without that the film would have needed something else to fill the time slot.

But for the scenery, costumes and excellent camera work, "A Little Chaos" would be a royal bore for most.

While several of the characters are historically true, Madame De Barra and others are fictional. Le Notré was the landscape architect for King Louis. He began designing and building the gardens at Versailles in 1661, but he would have been 70 years old in 1683. The king's wife who died that year was Maria Theresa of Spain (1638-1683). She and Louis married in 1660 when they were both 21. She was 44 when she died on July 30, 1683.

Louis XIV was also known as Louis the Great. He had the longest sovereign reign in European history. It lasted from May 14, 1643 (when he was four years old) until his death at age 76 on Sept. 1, 1715. He began his personal rule of France in 1661 at age 18, after the death of his chief minister, the Italian Cardinal Mazarin. Louis reigned 72 years and 110 days. Scholars consider him one of the greatest rulers in history.

Besides his military and other conquests, King Louis XIV was also a royal philanderer. He is known to have fathered at least 22 children, six by his first wife, Maria Theresa.

Within a year of his first wife's death, Louis again married. His second wife was Francoise d'Aubigné, the Marquiese de Maintenon. She is Francoise Marie in the movie, played by Hope Hancock. Perhaps the most powerful woman in the king's entourage though, was Francoise-Ahtenais, the Marquise de Montespan. She bore Louis seven children from 1669 to 1678. Jennifer Ehle plays her in the movie. At least four other women bore nine children by Louis. All of these 22 offspring were legitimized by the king in time.

When Louis married again in 1683, he was 44 years old and his known philandering ended. The Marquises de Maintenon was a devout Catholic and had a strong influence on the king becoming more devout himself.

Without knowing something of the history and the court surrounding Louis XIV, much of this film set in the king's household is meaningless. A little knowledge of these people and of the reign of King Louis XIV adds some interest to this film. Otherwise, this is a slow movie, with much doting on flowers, other plants and landscaping. While gardeners may enjoy this, many others may find it boring.

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