‘A Little Chaos’ Film Review: A Cinematic Treat

Alan Rickman directs a wonderfully slow burning drama set in a garden of treachery, tragedy, pomposity and redemption.

Director: Alan Rickman

Starring: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alan Rickman and Stanley Tucci.

Running Time: 116 minutes.

UK Release date: 17^th April 2015

Hollywood seems fascinated with the idea of quintessential English royalty when it comes to television and film; the Oscar winning success of THE KING’S SPEECH is the typifying example of this passion whilst Downton Abbey continues to dazzle both here and across the pond.

New to the plate is a BBC films period drama directed by Alan Rickman telling the tale of two gardeners from different backgrounds taking on the daunting task of designing a fountain for Louis XIV in Versailles. The piece stars the effortlessly radiant Kate Winslet as Sabine, a deeply troubled but determined widow who is hired by the mysteriously enigmatic royally appointed gardener Andre, played by Matthias Schoenaerts.

The opening action primarily revolves around Winslet’s rise as a dogged self-employed gardener to a servant to the demanding king, played by Rickman. The audience is exposed to flashes of Sabine’s mysterious past as we slowly piece together elements of her complex personality and understand why she behaves in the way she does. Andre acts as our soul protagonist as Schoenaerts depicts a steely-faced gentleman who is struggling to construct a garden grand enough to please the expecting King.

The tone is an integral element of the plot as although there are topics that demand a more serious respect the film is definitely not afraid to embrace its own pomposity and campness, the best examples of this whimsy being provided by the outrageous Duke Phillippe, played by Stanley Tucci. Both Tucci and Rickman shine on screen as their characters constantly provide a sense of comic relief amongst a backdrop of slow paced drama, stealing the laughs throughout. Winslet and Schoenaerts also conjure up a fascinatingly intriguing rapport that ebbs and flows, with Winslet in particular flourishing in the role showing her ability to portray a character with deeper complexities as the drama unfolds.

Rickman can be proud of his ability to direct a picture that on a surface level lacks overly compelling subject matter but still manages to enthral its audience in a number of different ways. The character performances are therefore the devices that make the story pleasantly watchable, just as in THE KING’S SPEECH the story may not sound exciting on paper: in reality it is and the absolute same can be said for A LITTLE CHAOS. 

Verdict:

The beautifully picturesque landscape are a cinematic treat and this gloriousness is matched by the drama as the audience is put through a wonderfully layered and carefully constructed film.

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