“There is an outdoor ballroom in the gardens of Versailles. In what follows, that much at least is true.” – Opening card to the film

My mother loves period pieces, so it seemed obvious that we watch “A Little Chaos” together. We were able to order it on-demand and watch it in our Snuggies on the couch. Going into “A Little Chaos,” I was already comfortable in my surroundings, so it seems appropriate that the film be a comfortable one, as well — not straying too far from the beaten path and keeping the audience fairly pleased in how familiar the film feels. It’s not a bad thing, and while it’s not particularly revolutionary in any regard, “A Little Chaos” was an incredibly pleasant movie-watching experience. Simply pleasant.

I feel as if I spilled all of my feelings already, but I promise there’s more. The cast Alan Rickman assembled for the film is wonderful, playing greatly on old and new, with veteran actors like Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman and Stanley Tucci, as well as up and comers like Matthias Schoenaerts (channeling a young Mads Mikkelsen) and Helen McCrory (a veteran actually, but only recently in the mainstream eye).

Winslet and Schoenaerts have wonderful chemistry together, playing two accomplished landscapers contracted to assemble an outdoor ballroom in the gardens of Versailles for King Louis XIV (Rickman) of France in 1682. Winslet and Rickman even have wondeful chemistry in a wonderful sequence between them in a garden midway through the film. The film never goes beyond landscaping, but the chemistry between the leads and the palpable atmosphere of a growing Versailles is enough to please.

While “A Little Chaos” is anything but chaotic, and while it is also quite comfortable, I found solace in the fact that the film was original enough in its story. It’s always interesting to see such classic structures like Versailles in such a vulnerable state, and Rickman captures this beautifully in the film.

The film is lush in its portrayal of royalty but also uses grungy atmospheres to show what the rest of France was like in the time period, as well as the land in which Versailles was built upon. Rickman gets this contrast just right. It’s also nice to see a period piece challenge gender and class barriers as much as this one does with Winslet’s character.

While it does some things that other period pieces haven’t done in the past in regards to gender and class politics, this film is incredibly familiar to anyone who has ever seen a period piece. There’s nothing revolutionary about the film, but it feels very comfortable, while also adding a few spritzes of originality into the mix and creating a nice, palpable atmosphere with sympathetic characters and an intriguing storyline.

Winslet is fantastic in the lead role and Rickman has really proved himself to be a great director. I’m still confused as to why Focus Features dropped this film from their theatrical release schedule in favor of a smaller release with same day video on-demand. Regardless, for a film as comfortable as this, I guess it makes sense to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.

SOURCE: ninertimes