A Little Chaos [DVD] [2014] [2015]

I really enjoyed this, the cast attracted me to it and I wasn't sure which way it was going to go, a win or not. It's definitely a win. Good story, fact and fiction interwoven to create fun and beauty. Watch and enjoy.

Great viewing

Directed by and starring Alan Rickman, this is a period drama love story. Kate Winslet plays Sabine de Barra who is a gardener who enters the race to be one of the Versailles landscapers. She is interviewed and rejected by André Le Notre – Mathias Schoenarts, but intrigued by her idea and daresay her charms, he returns to her drawings – and her. What follows is a tour around the messier aspects of landscaping, some sumptuous goings on in the French Kings court and some emboldened courting of a much more romantic nature. This is a film for fans of costume dramas and for those who like a bit of a love element thrown in for good measure. Rickman is not on top form but he probably held himself back as he was the director, he is though excellent value for money as, indeed, is the entire cast; hence one I find easy to recommend.

Perfect story. Very enjoyable. Thank you very much.

Great value for money great service from the seller

I finally had the chance to see this film yesterday and I loved every single minute of it. In fact, I was sad when it ended because I loved it so much. I think it was beautifully directed and acted. The sensitive, gentle story follows Sabine - a woman who has had a traumatic experience and who survives by being employed for her whimsical garden style. She adds a little chaos to the structured, formal Baroque designs favoured by top gardener Andre Le Notre. Having previously seen Schoenaerts as a total thug in another movie recently, I was very impressed by his total transformation into the gentle Le Notre. The chemistry between Schoenaerts and Winslet was sensitive and beautiful. Helen McCrory's character was decidedly dislikeable, and it was a treat to see Rupert Penry-Jones in a periwig! If you like super fast-paced, action fests with lots of sex and superficial storylines, this isn't for you. If you've been raised on Merchant Ivory films, love gentle and beautifully-made films with heart, this is for you.

Grest film

When I first heard about this film I was so delighted to see Sense and Sensibility's Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet together again I decided to buy it without watching it first. I soon came to regret it... Set in Louis XIV's opulent court, the film is visually beautiful, the film is full of lush gardens, intricate costumes and luminous cinematography. However it falls down on its central love triangle. Schoenarts and Winslet fail to convey any kind of sexual chemistry; their pivotal scenes are absolutely flat. Come to think of it Schoenarts' performance is so shallow it doesn't convey any kind of anything...why he is stuck with his pantomime villain of a wife or why the king favours him. Winslet's performance as the mysterious Simone is better, but her 'big secret' reveal is so over the top it's grotesque. There are some great moments - Rickman steals every scene, as does Tucci's Duc D'orleans, not to mention Jennifer Ehle as de Montespan. It's a subtly feminist film, with some really poignant touches in the depictions of the ladies of the court. But all in all, a disappointment, as shallow as a court masque and as fast fading as a rose.

Bien

I am not sure what I like most about this film. Kate Winslet is a breathtaking, the directing is exquisite, it's beautiful to look at and there are moments when the writing is unforgettable. It is not a movie for everyone. If you're looking for broad strokes, Hollywood stars, a rollicking roller coaster of a plot and a big boat that breaks in half, you won't enjoy it. If you've seen enough of life to understand what is going on in this film, you will be captivated. You need to listen very carefully to the dialogue because some of the lines are soft and subtle and contain a world of meaning. There is one line that follows a scene in a roomful of women talking, a scene that did not at all go where I thought it was going to go, and then - “Her kindness! Unbribed!” Some of the scenes and some of the lines caught me completely by surprise. At first I thought the acting was superb, then I realized that it was also the directing. The director was able to get rich and unexpected choices from the actors. The directing played with the issue of power and how it manifests in people, what it does to them and what it does to the people around them. I've known powerful people and watched them in action enough to know what was going on in this film. Stanley Tucci is always fun to watch, but he plays that same powerful entitlement, a little dangerous, with humor and charm. I had the pleasure of seeing Alan Rickman in the original production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, it was the first thing I ever saw him do, and I was blown away. As good as he was in that role, he was that good as a director. Of course, his Louis XIV is really amazing and not what I expected. The scripted character goes for the sword of Damocles, uneasy lies the head, etc., but Alan Rickman got a dialogue going, within that character, a discussion between a real human being and a dangerously powerful man. It was interesting to watch. Like I said, not for everyone, but for some people it will be a rare treat.

Un bijou ! quelle belle histoire même si la vérité historique est absente de ce conte. Il reste les décors, les costumes, les jardins et une Kate Winslet, si belle, généreuse, et sensible face à Matthias Schoenaerts, excellent, et très séduisant. Le très regretté Alain Rickman a réalisé un petit chef d’œuvre. Il est de plus très crédible en Louis XIV. Il avait une grâce indéfinissable et une voix inoubliable.

Mir hat alles gut gefallen, vor allem auch die sehr schnelle Lieferung!

This movie is just beautiful to watch. It works through themes of betrayal and consequences. Overall it is the power of genuine tender love and care that liberates human beings from their torments, suffering and anxiety regardless of gender.