Film No. 17 (2015) March 19th. 6:30 PM THE WINDSOR Nedlands.
"Patience, care and a little warmth from the sun are our best hope" (Sabine philosophizing with The King as she reflects on life paralleled with the growth of a rose).
Lavish costume drama's have always been important screen fodder and now that production companies spend less on film stock in this digital age, the gussets and flowing gowns are on show more often.
A Little Chaos tells the story of Sabine …… (Kate Winslet)a landscape gardener who applies for and wins a position as a project landscaper for the grand gardens of Versailles. It's an original premise and if it wasn't for the clunky ending Chaos is a polished piece of escapism.
Alan Rickman (King Louis XIV) dons his frocks and works in a genre suited to his style both as an actor and as the film's director. It's a story he's been keen on for some time and he has been painstaking with his casting, costuming and setting. He takes us to France in the late 17th century where Versailles is the king's home and his garden is his pride and joy. Enter Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts), his master landscaper who invites Sabine to oversee a project which becomes the main backdrop for the film.
Yes, you guessed it, Winslet and Schoenaerts have a slow burn chemistry which simmers then bubbles and burns as their combined efforts create an outdoor performance arena through thick and thin. The thick comes in the form of Le Notre's evil, two timing wife,Madame Le Notre (Helen McCrory); thin, coming in the form of Sabine's tragic past.
Rickman takes us to another time and another place with skill. His use of flora as a theme to show growth alongside a cast made to fit so perfectly into the costumes and the time is seamless and successful. IF this were set in modern times it could easily fit as a reality TV segment with the tension coming in the form of a project so difficult to complete there are bound to be dramas. Watch for the clunky final sequences, there is definitely some evidence of a little chaos. Oh, and check your shoes for mud before you leave the cinema. 8GUMS.
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