Review of A Little Chaos (2015) by Jonathan B — 12 Jan 2016

This delightfully understated movie, directed competently by Alan Rickman, tells the story of a burgeoning love between two garden designers tasked with producing the gardens at Versailles for King Louis XIV.

Rickman himself takes the part of the monarch and is immensely enjoyable in the part. The two leading roles are taken by Kate Winslet and Matthias Schoenaerts and I think it is the latter who slightly has the edge.

He's superb as the cerebral, gentle landscape architect, Andre Le Notre who seems I'll at ease with the excesses and intrigues of court-life. This movie drips with style and Rickman has obviously raided his address book for some suitable luvvies to take supporting roles.

To be honest, not a lot really happens. There are two dramatic high points, one of which involves some plumbing related sabotage and the other a revelation about a tragedy from the past but, these incidents aside, this is a mild and gentle story that doesn't concern itself with the trying to be anything bigger.