Väike kaos (2014) Online

2014 Kate Winslet Alan Rickman Stanley Tucci Alan Rickman

Original Title :: A Little Chaos
Genre :: Movie / Drama / Romance
Year :: 2014
Directror :: Alan Rickman
Cast :: Kate Winslet,Alan Rickman,Stanley Tucci
Writer :: Jeremy Brock,Alison Deegan
Type :: Movie
Time :: 1h 52min
Rating :: 6.5/10

Two talented landscape artists become romantically entangled while building a garden in King Louis XIV's palace at Versailles.

Väike kaos (2014) Online

A romantic drama following Sabine (Kate Winslet), a talented landscape designer, who is building a garden at Versailles for King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman). Sabine struggles with class barriers as she becomes romantically entangled with the court's renowned landscape artist, André Le Nôtre (Matthias Schoenaerts).

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Thomas Allam	-	Louis Alexander
	Alan Rickman	-	King Louis XIV
	Hope Hancock	-	Francoise Marie
	Isabella Steinbarth	-	Louise Francoise
	Hal Hewetson	-	Philippe
	Carolina Valdés	-	Queen Marie Therese
	Eleanor Montgomery	-	Royal Nurse
	Matthias Schoenaerts	-	André Le Notre
	Danny Webb	-	Claude Moulin
	Kate Winslet	-	Sabine De Barra
	Cathy Belton	-	Louise
	Steven Waddington	-	Thierry Duras
	Adrian Scarborough	-	Daniel Le Vielle
	Adrian Schiller	-	Jean Risse
	Ben Fox	-	Monsieur Mauve

Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia, appears in a scene at the Louvre. She is sitting on a chair alone when Sabine walks into the room before a crowd of people follow at minute 33:17.

Andre Le Notre designed the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

The real André Le Nôtre, the landscape architect who designed the gardens of Versailles and many other palace grounds, was 25 years older than Louis XIV. The film's time-line of a year or so includes the death of Maria Theresa, Louis' queen. This occurred in 1683, when Louis was 45 and Le Nôtre was 70; At that point, Le Nôtre had been working on the gardens at Versailles for more than 20 years.

Some of the costumes from the television show Tudorid (2007) were altered and reused in this film. Costume designer Joan Bergin was involved in both projects.

Kate Winslet was three months pregnant with her son Bear Blaze when she completed filming. She announced her pregnancy two weeks into shooting.

Before filming their first sex scene, Kate Winslet went to Matthias Schoenaerts's trailer and told him that she was pregnant, he congratulated her and made her feel relaxed during the sex scenes, "He was very sweet and able to move me in ways that were favourable to my physical state", Winslet told. Schoenaerts also kept his pants and his socks on during the scene.

The film is set in France but was shot entirely in London.

Kate Winslet did her own stunt in the scene where her character falls into a weir. She was pregnant but didn't tell anybody back then because she knew they wouldn't let her fall in if they knew.

Alan Rickman told he had seen Matthias Schoenaerts being brilliant and complex in the French film Rooste ja luu (2012), and when his name was suggested for André Le Notre, Rickman thought it was an excellent idea, in terms of his talent as an actor, but he didn't know if Schoenaerts could speak English like the rest of the cast. Rickman was in Belgium shooting A Promise (2013) when he started watching YouTube videos of Schoenaerts speaking perfect English with an American accent and they met on the next day. Then, he rang Producer Gail Egan immediately after their meeting and said that Schoenaerts was definitely their Le Notre.

This is Alan Rickman's second film as a director. The first was The Winter Guest (1997).

Alison Deegan's script was sent to Alan Rickman so that he might consider playing the part of André Le Notre; Alan said he wasn't sure about that, but that he would like to direct it. Alison had seen and admired The Winter Guest (1997), so they started collaborating with his directing it in mind. Producer Gail Egan asked Rickman to wear a third hat on the project by taking the role of the King because he was best for the part.Rickman eventually acquiesced, because of "the fact that if you are playing Louis XIV, you don't have to move very much - and it's not too far-fetched to say that, as Louis, you keep the same watchful expression on your face as you do when you are directing!", he said.

Though Le Notre was a real person, Kate Winslet's character Sabine is fictional, there would be no woman with a profession at that time. Alan Rickman told that he loved the idea of "putting a completely fictitious character in the middle of a known bit of history."

Last film directed by Alan Rickman.

Shot in 40 days.

This is one of four period pieces starring Matthias Schoenaerts to be released in 2015. The others are Suite Française (2014), Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) and Taani tüdruk (2015).

This is Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman's second film together, the first being Mõistus ja tunded (1995).

A scene in which Matthias Schoenaerts's André Le Notre sings at the banquet was cut from the American release.

In France, Belgium and in the Netherlands, this film is known as "The King's Gardens".

Filmed at Blenheim palace.

Alan Rickman was in Brussels shooting A Promise (2013) when he invited Matthias Schoenaerts to play André Le Notre in the film.

Matthias Schoenaerts Jennifer Ehle and Stanley Tucci are the only non-British actors in the cast.

Alan Rickman and Stanley Tucci previously starred together in Gambiit (2012).

Alan Rickman and Helen McCrory worked together previously in Harry Potter ja segavereline prints (2009) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1&2(2010-2011).

Kate Winslet and Jennifer Ehle were both in Steven Soderbergh's film Nakkus (2011).

The runtime of the UK Blu-Ray/DVD is 117 min, while the U.S. Blu-Ray/DVD has a runtime of 113 min.

The King tells Mme De Barra that the woman he wants to marry is very pious but is not royal or an aristocrat. This describes Mme de Maintenon, the King's second wife, who he did indeed marry secretly (as per Mme De Barra's suggestion).

User reviews

Thomand

Went to the movie with low expectations, thanks to some of the comments having written here. What I met was something spectacular. Very cleverly organized script had become a a most beautifully shot film in the hands of Alan Rickman. A strongly developing romance, beautifully acted scenes from the very beginning to the end, obviously a result of the touches by the director. Rickman should direct more films. Very passionately recommended to those who love details in words, minimalism in acting. To me, it is a collection piece. Also, The star of the film, Kate Winslet, once again, shows why she is of a great talent. Every moment she is on the screen, her powerful acting capacity flows like a very big river that nothing can possibly stop.

GoodBuyMyFriends

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.

Dusar

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.

mr.Mine

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 :)

Flamehammer

Unfortunately, A Little Chaos has limited distribution. It was only showing in one theater where I live in downtown. I could have taken public transit and walked five blocks to get to the venue but kept putting it off. Good that I did, because A Little Chaos is currently streaming on Amazon with a run time of 1:53 minutes.

It's an interesting and unique story about a woman named Sabine, who has a gift for gardening. Yes, she has a quaint little backyard of flowers and trees, but her real talent is that of a landscape artist. She applies for the opportunity to work in the gardens of Versailles.

After obtaining the position, she is charged by the head architect, Andre (played by Matthias Schoenaerts who was just in Far From the Madding Crowd), to work on a special project that the two eventually design together. The fact that Sabine was a woman of great talent did not mean that her task was an easy one, but it was eventually successful.

However, underneath Sabine is a woman of great sadness. She is a widow and has also lost her daughter of six years of age. Ther reason for her family's passing isn't revealed until the end of the movie. How it occurs is heartbreaking, so I won't spoil that part in case you decide to watch the movie.

Of course, Andre, who is unhappily married to another woman, who possesses less than a stellar character, falls in love with Sabine. At first she resists because of her sorrow from the past, but eventually discovers solace and comfort in his arms.

Kate Winslet does the movie great charm. Her portrayal of Sabine is nothing but brilliant as all her movies. There is one particular scene that literally brought me to tears where she is among a group of women from the King's court. The ladies sit together and talk about what ladies talk about, but the conversation turns toward whether she is married and has children. Sabine, of course, can barely choke out the truth, and it is then that the majority of the woman in the room relay to her their sorrow of lost children of their own due to smallpox or other tragedies. It is so touching, I could barely keep from crying. Sabine is deeply moved when she realizes that she is not the only woman carrying such a deep burden of grief.

As the movie continues, you are made aware of her gracious character, wisdom, and kindness to others that eventually lead her to a road of healing. Yes, the movie is about the gorgeous gardens of Versailles, but it also much more. The story is rich with sidelines about others who are close to the King as well.

Alan Rickman plays Louis, but he also directs the movie. As beautifully touching as the story is at times, you may find it a bit slow in movement. There is construction of her portion of the garden, her interaction with the King and his court, her blossoming love for Andre, that all move toward the end at a leisurely pace. Some may like it -- some may not. I wanted to push it a bit myself but later scenes redeemed whatever discomfort I felt while waiting for the story to unfold.

You will see many characters played by British actors that you will recognize - Rupert Penry-Jones (Captain Wentworth in Jane Austen's Persuasion); Steven Waddington (who played the Duke of Buckingham in The Tudors); Adrian Scarborough (who has done his share of British television roles including Midsomer Murders); Stanely Tucci (who has been in plenty of movie roles that you can remember); and many other well-known faces. What you may find a bit unsettling is the majority of the cast lacking French accents from British and American actors, however, there are a few women who do have one.

Nevertheless, the costumes are quite stunning as well as the scenery and sets. The production was filmed in England at nine locations (click here to see where), including Hampton Court, which I immediately recognized the exterior and interior.

If you're looking for a touching, but not spectacular period movie, you may want to check this one out.

Malakelv

This movie is a historical fiction à la "Girl with the Pearl Earring". It is an homage to the search for beauty, an homage to France in its most classical and absolutist period. Other aspects come to join the story of this woman gardener: love, loss etc. The movie shows very well the strange behaviors of the people from the court of Versailles. But it shows as well what real "gentilhommes" (gentlemen), true nobility is. The dialogs are full of meaning, the sceneries, colors are wonderful. If it was filmed in England or in France? I don't care because it works. That is what I like with this movie, the mix of French and English culture. As a Frenchman, I am so found of English culture. Take time to see this beautiful and poetic movie. It is slow, relaxing, gives you the will to look at a flower and smell the sent of it, gives you the will to seek beauty around you. Thank you actors and Mister Rickman for this beautiful moment.

Tygrarad

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!

skyjettttt

OK, OK, the "professional" reviews are tepid, but for my taste, A Little Chaos is a perfect summertime movie. No heavy themes, impeccable acting (Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Stanley Tucci, and Alan Rickman), beautiful scenery, and gorgeous late 17th c. costumes. It's one of those movies where you can sink into the cushioned theater seats, breathe the welcome air-conditioning, and let the film wash over you. No heavy mental or emotional lifting required. The premise is that on a ridiculously short timetable and budget, France's Louis XIV, the Sun King, has decreed that paradisaical gardens be created to expand the grounds at his Versailles palace. Garden design has been placed in the reliable hands of André Le Nôtre (Schoenaerts), a proponent of order in the landscape. His plans include an elaborate display of fountains. But he needs help. After interviewing numerous candidates, he chooses the wildly fictional Madame Sabine de Barra (Winslet) to create the garden's ballroom, for the reason that she will introduce new ideas (a shaky premise, there)—and, as the title suggests, a little chaos. The two of them are attracted to each other, but have vastly different temperaments and face a fairly predictable set of obstacles. Critics who pooh-pooh the film as a failed feminist fable miss its many pleasures: the absurd courtiers, Stanley Tucci as the king's gay brother, the interplay among the women when they're alone behind closed doors, scenery to drool over, the joy of bringing dirt and greenery to beautiful life, and, especially, Alan Rickman playing Louis XIV—"a character worthy of his imperious, reptilian charisma," as Stephen Holden said in the New York Times. Rickman directed and helped write the film, too. "Acting should be about risky projects as much as it can be about entertaining," he told Joe Neumaier at the New York Daily News. "The risk is what makes you want to do it." Bringing to life characters from another culture and long-past century in a revisionist history confection is almost as risky as thinking you can make water dance. The real Salle de Bal (the Bosquet des Rocailles) at Versailles was inaugurated in 1685 and is the gardens' only surviving cascade. If you don't go with inflated expectations you won't be disappointed. You will be well pleased.

Ventelone

This was a lovely little treat of a film. I picked it because of the actors in it. I figured that many names couldn't make a bad film. Plus I would watch Stanley Tucci read a phone book he's that good.

I figured the story from the start. Ragamuffin flower girl comes to court and falls for the kings landscaper. Boom, done story. But I was really surprised at these turn of events. There were actually very strong back stories to these really great characters. It was funny, touching and very well casted. The scenery was beautiful and of course love the wardrobe. Alan Rickman sheds his immortal Prof. Snape character for one even bigger. Can never have enough Kate Winslet. but best of all was seeing Mattias Starsgart in yet another movie. he's starting to show up everywhere. I'm loving it.

All in all, a lovely little treat worth watching and enjoying.

Gaua

I have a problem with movies that play fast and loose with history, unless they make it clear that the story is fictional. If a movie purports to be historically accurate, many people are going to believe that what they're seeing actually happened, whether it did or not. On the other hand, using a specific historical time and place for background while telling a story that isn't meant to be taken literally can yield a pretty good movie. Many people have enjoyed Monty Python and Mel Brooks comedies over the years, but I doubt any of them took what they saw as literal history. And I don't think anyone really believes Abe Lincoln was a vampire hunter. Even Quentin Terantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) isn't likely to muddy the historical waters, unless I underestimate how many people think Adolf Hitler was assassinated in a theater. So, I appreciated it when the opening title card of "A Little Chaos" (R, 1:57) informed the audience that the only thing guaranteed to be true in the movie is the end result. I felt free to sit back and enjoy a fictional story set against a historical background. I just wish I enjoyed it more.

There really was a King of France named Louis XIV who built an impressive palace in the Paris suburb of Versailles and surrounded it with spectacular gardens which included an outdoor ballroom, but he didn't look like Hans Gruber from "Die Hard" and young Rose from "Titanic" was not involved. Nevertheless, Alan Rickman (who also wrote and directed this film) plays The Sun King and Kate Winslet plays a fictional woman named Sabine De Barra, who the movie shows receiving a commission to design and build the outdoor ballroom portion of the gardens at Versailles. Of course, she's working for a male landscape artist named André Le Nôtre (the real life royal landscaper), played by Matthias Schoenaerts.

Rather than just showing the building of the gardens as it actually happened, the film adds interest and intrigue to the true story with the creation of Winslet's character. Sabine is definitely a woman in a man's world, and one who stirs things up in other ways as well. Competing against several men, she wins the competition to create the "Bosquet of the Salle de Bal", partly due to her slightly unorthodox plans. She respects order, but also likes being creative and different, adding a little chaos, you might say.

But that phrase applies to more than just her ideas for shrubbery, tiered landscapes and fountains with sea shells. You see, Le Nôtre is married, but I think we all know what happens when landscapers who are passionate about their gardening spend a lot of time working together in 17th century France! André's is a loveless marriage to Madame Françoise Le Nôtre (Helen McCrory) and one that involves much infidelity (at least on her part), but if André were also to cheat, he should at least have the decency to pick someone of a higher social standing. Even the possibility of this particular gardener and gardenette hook-up is enough to throw Madame into a jealous rage, one that holds the potential to ruin lives and cool outdoor ballrooms.

The problem with "A Little Chaos" is that it's a little boring. Portraying what it might have been like for a woman to put together an important part of the world-famous Versailles gardens is an intriguing premise, but isn't enough for a feature film. The love triangle adds some drama and we get some amusement by way of Alan Rickman's flamboyant courtier and a clever case of mistaken identity between Louis and Sabine, but all that only goes so far. The beautiful scenery and impressive costumes add to the film's appeal, but I can only bring myself to give this movie the mildest of recommendations. The script is well-written, but the story, the performances and the direction lack energy. I generally liked "A Little Chaos". I just wish I could say I liked it more (or as much as the other member of our staff who saw this movie with me and will likely be annoyed that I didn't give it a better grade). "B-"

MARK BEN FORD

Alan Rickman is one of the many talents we lost in 2016 and this was one of the few films he directed.

It's not a fantastic film, more a collection of good moments that sadly never join up, but you can't fault Rickman or Kate Winslet, who shine when on screen.

It was released in a year with a lot of other similar films, and perhaps that hurt it in terms of acclaim, as did the fact that the plot isn't the easiest to explain, but as I say, there are certainly moments within it that make it worth a watch.

We miss Alan Rickman terribly.

Damand

I do believe that the movie is slow, it is somehow predictable, it lacks action. BUT the scenes are very flowy, fluid, calm, precise. The camera movements are smooth, delicate. The sounds are warm. The music is outstanding, the atmosphere can be described as cosy, intimate, friendly. It is not a gardening movie but the flowers add color to it, the sceneries, the woods, the gardens are fascinating. Alan Rickman is a very good actor, a very good king. Stanley Tucci did an awesome job as well. KATE WINSLET. Oh God, Kate Winslet is the best "thing" that has ever happened to the film industry. I really like the fact that Sabine is not a 20 year old girl. Even though she is the main character, she doesn't do much, Kate still managed to make her interesting, to give her depth. The flood since was a nice flashback, Kate is "into" water.. if you know what i mean. I don't know if it is historically accurate, but Sabine is fictional. It's a movie, it shouldn't be criticized. It is not the most interesting movie ever, but the cast and the used techniques are worthy of attention.

Kagda

At a time when "F&F7" is dominating box office takings, this could hardly be a more different offering: not so much fast and furious as slow and sedate. It is pitching for a more refined, but inevitably much smaller, audience and its target demographic will find it a qualified success. Modestly enjoyable but unexceptional.

Set at the court of the French King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman) in Versailles (but wholly shot at some splendid British locations), this a well-intentioned, mildly feminist work that presents a woman landscape designer - the fictional Sabine de Barra (Kate Winslet) - in a world (like most) dominated by men such as the real-life Andreé Le Nôtre (Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts). Not only does she cause a little chaos in the gardens, but in the court where, in a surprising couple of scenes, she discovers and exposes the sexism and ageism towards the female aristocracy.

At one level, this is Rickman's film: it is only the second he has directed, he contributed to the script, and he steals certain scenes as the Sun King. However, for me, it was owned by the ever-winsome Winslet. She is somebody one can imagine getting her hands dirty in gardens and standing up for her sex; she is one of the finest British actress of her generation; and I have never seen her in a role where she did not bring something a little special. But, at the end of the day, "A Little Chaos" has too little going on and too small a budget to be more than an pleasant antidote to the crash-bang- wallop of too many other movies.

Chilldweller

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.

Dyni

I really expected something quite different, but what I got was a beautifully crafted fantasy that pitched each and every moment just right.

The thematic weave is extremely subtle and every single moment very carefully placed with an incredible sense of sensitivity for the human condition. The movie is delightful and deals with such an enormous amount of delicately sensitive human themes that I am awestruck at the director's ability to treat them with such a light hand that you never get the feeling that you are working to get through the story.

A Little Chaos struck my nerves and my heart with quite a few story lines that I recognized from everyday life in the 21st century and managed to tell a story of our day to day lives, lived in a period knows for it's decadent overindulgence and careless waste. Very much like today but not with the political baggage of libertarianism, capitalism and human rights that has come to burden out every decision just like form and pompous did back in the good old days, when times were bad...

Thus they place themes what many of us chew on, in a time that, even though it seems so far away, we can relate to. And within this they succeed in touching your heart as an viewer without striking a painful blow. The cinematography is brilliantly simple and exceptionally effective for a complex story made watchable, easy and fresh.

Ffel

This is one grotesque production. Historically, the premise of that movie is simply absurd (a woman in charge of landscaping a Versailles garden in 1685? Hey, what garden herb did the screenwriters smoke?!) but the promise of glorious visuals or some interesting insight on Louis's court convinced me to see that movie on DVD. Oh boy, what did I get myself into: the anachronistic nonsense is matched only by an equally ridiculous and hackneyed plot, and the dialogues are so bland my jaw dropped. The actors are doing a good job, uh, with whatever they have to work for -i.e not much. One feels sorry for them, truly. I fear too that not one scene was actually filmed in Versailles -every château front or rural landscape on view in this film is indeed clearly British. (yes Victoria, there is a difference between French and British architecture!)The final view of "Versailles" looks completely CGI.

What target audience did the producers have in mind with this expensive piece of drivel? I learned nothing from it, and -to quote another empire builder- I was not even amused. You can cinematically toy with history if you get something out of it (possibly some education, Monty Python-type humor, etc) , but out of the inane plot cooked up by this movie, I got only boredom, and great sadness at the waste.

Invissibale

By just looking at the cast, I shouldn't be surprised that this movie is good. But I was surprised. It was more than good. It was mesmerizing.

I am compelled to get something out of the way first. The period piece is set at a period of Louis XIV when France was enjoying power and prosperity and the polarization of rich and poor had not yet developed to the point, a century later, of catastrophic meltdown. Still, to enjoy this movie, one needs to avoid adopting a judgmental stance of condemning the outrageous extravagance of royalty, but focus on the appreciation of beauty and art and the admiration of the protagonist, a female architect by the name of Sabine De Barra, so brilliantly portrayed by Kate Winslet.

Without belaboring the details, I'll just report that the simple plot surrounds Louis XIV's (Alan Rickman) wish to have created something of an esthetic perfection in the form of gardens in the lavish Palace of Versailles. One crucial component is an open-air, circular ball room that is complete with auditorium seats and running fountains. Against all odds, Sabine wins this job by impressing the King's trusted master-builder Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts) with her design that subscribes to the theory of having a little chaos (hence the title) rather than complete, rigid order. While Le Notre disagrees with her theory, he has the vision and capacity to accept into the project "a voice different from his own". Development of romance is predictable, as are dramatic conflicts and crisis.

Winslet is pitch-perfect as a woman with talent and passion for her profession that was all but male-dominated. There is also the more subtle, but fully palpable side of vulnerability which Winslet projects almost effortlessly. Belgian actor Schoenaerts would have impressed you, if you have seen him in "Rust and bone" (2012) providing solid support to Marion Cotillard in her impeccable performance as a women who just lost her legs in an accident. In addition to directing, Rickman also played a key character, giving the reason that since set construction for this movie was so expensive, saving the salaries of one key character would help to ease the budget. Whether you consider that jest or not, his portrayal of Louise XIV is immensely successful in shaping this character into someone almost lovable. Stanley Tucci does the usual Stanley Tucci thing, lighting up the screen with his flamboyant portrayal of a charismatic nobleman. In a small role of one of the woman at the King's court is one who is among my top favorite, Jennifer Ehle. While she has produced an abundance of excellent work over the years, she'll always be remembered from "Possession" (2002) as Christabel LaMotte who, incidentally, is in the same predicament as Sabine De Barra, a talented woman in a male-dominated society.

Cinematography, art direction and music all contribute to making this movie such a pleasure to watch.

If I have one criticism, it would be the somewhat contriving mysterious background of Sabine who is known to be a widow but with very little other information. It is obvious though that she is trying very hard to block certain excruciatingly painful memories, with little success. It is also obvious that this baggage was becoming an almost insurmountable obstacle in the development of a more intimate relationship between her and La Notre. The mystery, eventually when revealed, is neither earth-shattering nor emotionally compelling. The way it is dragged out like a suspense mystery is quite unnecessary, to say the least.

Laitchai

OK OK OK, one can 'imagine' new stories based around sort-of-real scenarios but sometimes one can take this too far. Rickman has taken his 'small' idea at least an hour too long. This presentation puts me in mind of Jane Campion whose films are far too off target. The filmography, costumes and acting are beautiful to observe but oh, the leaden eyelids in the first hour. It was hard to keep awake. The story is too thin and not realistically developed leading one with yawning gaps to fill with popcorn chewing, sweet unwrapping, smartphone fiddling - or your actual dozing which is what you really want to do. There are also glaring 'factual' slip ups - e.g. use of a hybrid tea rose in the 17th century. Oh dear, and oh dear there's the obligatory soft porn - a full frontal for the male/lesbian audience and a pert rear end for everybody else. So rubbish I wouldn't waste actual money seeing it. Wait until it becomes filler on a TV free channel.

Joony

In this romantic historical, Kate Winslet plays Sabine De Barra an imaginative landscape designer who breaks the convention of "order" and is hired to build a garden at Versailles for King Louis XIV, played by Alan Rickman, also the film's director.

Kate Winslet was absolutely lovely in this film along with Matthias Schoenaerts (Far from the Maddening Crowd) who I predict will be blowing up movie screens with his strong, yet quiet presence on-screen. A Little Chaos is a historically picturesque, charming, and intriguing film with the same impression as Sense & Sensibility. As a lover and writer of historical fiction, I knew from the beginning ("There is an outdoor ballroom in the garden of Versailles. In what follows, that much at least is true.") this film was an imaginative, fictional account. And thankfully the film made it on-screen in a world where not many producers or studios are willing to make movies as this.

A refreshing movie off the beaten path of monsters and superheroes! (Yes, I love monsters and superheroes too.) Overall: I enjoyed Alan Rickman's intimate style of directing. Stunning scenery, intriguing plot, and those quiet, captivating performances I love!

Binthars

I admire Alan Rickman as a great actor and not only for his performance in the Harry Potters movies. If I do accept fiction even in historical books or movies there are limits which cant be accepted as far as historical characters and events are concerned . This movie is a complete chaos in this respect!

A/ the king was in 1682 44 years old and by far not an aging man as depicted in the movie. B/ It was impossible at the time to have the king left alone without anyone keeping an eye on him for his own security. C/ Le Nôtre and his wife as far as we know had no couple problems; his wife after the death of her husband had a funeral monument sculpted by Pierre Cotton and which is in the St Roch Church in Paris. I doubt she would have done so if she and her husband had separated as shown here. D/The death of Marie Thérèse of Austria was not a real source of grief for the king being the well known philanderer. If Mme de Maintenon had begun the king to go back to his wife and begin to lead a Christian life one should not be mislead by his real affection to a woman he had been forced to marry. E/ The princess Palatine wife of the king's brother was not beautiful and not even feminine. All testimonials concord to say that if she may have had a nice face when she was young, she very quickly became outrageously overweight and herself in her memoirs paints herself far from resembling the character played in the movie by Paula Paul. F/ Last but not least, it is shocking to think not a single scene was shot in France in one of the most beautiful castle in the world and renown gardens unsurpassed to this day. The last shot showing the castle and its gardens is the most ridiculous one so "papier maché" does it look! In short Mr. Rickman, if fiction in history is perfectly acceptable, there are limits not to trespass with historical well documented characters and facts. France's history is sufficiently degraded by the American movie scripts not to have our nearest neighbor and member of the EC concurring to the degradation of the general knowledge of our history abroad and even in France itself. I wonder if you would a single minute accept that someone completely falsified the United Kingdom history and its main great kings and court? Although I enjoyed the perfect acting of the different actors in the film, Kate Winslet is remarkable as usual, Matthias Schoenaerts is perfect in the role of Le Nôtre as well as Rickman a great actor as usual, not to forget to mention the very and only concordant personification of Stanley Tucci in Philippe d'Orléans, I was really disappointed by this movie and there is no nationalism whatsoever in my critic. You could have made a great movie and you totally missed it. What a pity!

Hellstaff

first of all there are some great actors in this movie. And it may have been a good story for someone who loves these kind of slow romance. But I found that the story progresses slowly and at some points I skipped some moments since the story took way to long. Also to add to the review I found there is no chemistry between Kate Winslet and Michael Schoenaerts which I found weird since both in my opinion are great actors. But I found little on screen chemistry.

Also when Sabine De Barra's (Kate Winslet) project is being sabotaged the story was not focused enough since it felt lacking. And even though all actors are great actors it feels weird that a movie set in France has most characters in a English accent. It's not that bad just annoying.

All in all it is a acceptable movie but lacks some better directing.

Meri

I wanted to watch all of Alan Rickman's films as my own tribute to all the pleasure he has brought me. Once I saw A Little Chaos was about the Palace of Versailles, I could not miss it. For someone who loves French Beaux Art architecture and has only had a very short visit to the Palace of Versailles I was looking forward to a visual feast. I was not disappointed even though so many English sites were used in filming. The story was charming and the romance of the construction of the outdoor ballroom added to the charm. In fact the shaping of the land to the gardener's will to create some order in the chaos gave a very sensual feel. I was amazed to see Alan Rickman directed and co-wrote the story, a very talented and under-rated artist. If you enjoy visual beauty and a heart warming story, this is for you.

Lanionge

Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed watching this film. It was - well - nice. Still, I was disappointed. "A little chaos" has no point to me.

First, I had thought it was based on a true story: a charming footnote in history worth being told. But no: The plot is entirely made up, the main character Sabine de Barra never existed and Versailles' famed garden architect André Le Nôtre was over 70 when he completed the surroundings of the castle. And Louis XIV was never ever such a subtle self-ironic personality as displayed by Rickman.

So - what might be the point of the story? The "Win-against-all-odds" plot is highly predictable and really not much.

The love story comes somewhat inevitable and - although nicely played by Winslet and Schoenaerts - does not really add to excitement; it has hardly any twists and turns.

The gardening aspect could be interesting, but without in-depth knowledge of the history of garden architecture, we viewers are kept at loss to see why Mme de Barra's concepts might have been groundbreaking to gardening.

For an breathtaking period drama the visuals are too modest and small.

Personally, I would have liked to take this little episode as the exemplary and decisive turning point in the history of the ancien régime. Individual thinking and considerations of nature's law paving the way for 1789's revolution that overthrew the royals and their useless courtiers. The king's family, the nobles, their jaded ways are doomed long before they even know it.

But we get far too little insight to allow such a far-reaching interpretation.

What remains is a nice enough film for a rainy Sunday afternoon, but not more. And that is really a pity.

Gravelblade

A little chaos tells the story of designing part of the garden in the Palace of Versailles for Louis XIV around 1682, the reference being to the relationship of order over chaos in garden design, a key issue in the seventeenth century.

Alan Rickman produced, worked on the script and stars as a surly Sun King, recalling Harry Potter's taciturn and scheming Snape to my mind. Kate Winslet is the apparently totally fictional Sabine de Barra who rides the ups and downs of being a somebody at the court when she was an outsider and a woman doing a man's job to boot.

André le Notre is head gardener and comes across as a man caught in a system he cannot control and we find him bending this way and that to keep the story intact. Visually it is beautiful but somehow the English dialogue just didn't cut it for me – I wished they were speaking French which might have given it a bigger dose of intrigue that might have suited the Sun King's court and his fanciest of them all palace and garden.

JoJogar

6.5

Okay, first, here is what I liked:

Costumes, sets, and cinematography that kept me watching the full two hours

Kate Winslet's acting

Alan Rickman's diction

What did not work for me:

Sketchy, slight story for 2 hours. If you look at the actual plot points, it seems that the movie could have been shorter (which would have been good, because it dragged in places).

The wooden acting of Matthias Schoenaerts. God knows he did not have much dialog to work with, and what he did have was delivered in somewhat of an English-is-not-my-first-language way. In other words, I found the delivery/interpretation to be lacking.

Moreover, when you don't have a lot of dialog, it is clear that you are going to need to express the character's feelings (and there are plenty of feelings to express) primarily through facial expressions and body language. Winslet did a fine job of this. Schoenaerts, though, seemed disconnected from the story, quite wooden, and I saw very little real passion toward Sabine. What a shame. A better actor could have really elevated this movie.

-Finally, the dialog sometimes seemed a bit self-important, like it took itself a little too seriously. Alan Rickman's self-indulgence with the dialog had me rolling my eyes at one point. But I still love him as an actor. :-)

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