Review: A Little Chaos

There are two scenes that stir the soul in the romantic period drama, A Little Chaos. One occurs in the final five minutes of the film when King Louis XIV of France and a small group of his court anoint the newly completed Rockwork Garden in Versailles with a celebratory dance. The king (Alan Rickman) is satisfied at the marble floors and tiered terraces with the sprouting fountains, and there is something about the scene that conveys a sense of perennial beauty though all these dancing men and women are merely players with limited time on this earthly stage.

The second scene takes place roughly around the film's halfway point. Madame Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslet), who has been commissioned by the famous architect La Norte (Matthias Schoenaerts) to execute her not-so-traditional designs for the Rockwork Garden, comes upon the newly-widowed king in a small garden. As he is temporarily without his wig and finery, she mistakes him for a fellow gardener. When she does realise his true identity, he gently encourages her to keep up the charade. It's a lovely few minutes, full of warmth and gentleness. And sadness as well for it is a rare instance when Louis can be a relaxed man and not a guarded monarch.

Such scenes are in short supply in A Little Chaos, which is all over the place with its intentions. It purports to be a portrait of a woman making a place for herself in a man's world whilst simultaneously building itself as a love story between two people from opposite sides of the social spectrum. It also attempts to observe 17th century court life before revealing itself to be a half-hearted look at overcoming past and present personal griefs. The filmmakers are well within their right to incorporate as many themes as they would like, but not at the expense of focus and cohesion.

Rickman, in his second directorial effort, casts some fine actors, whose talents often make individual scenes work. Helen McCrory, for example, makes for a suitably viperish and adulterous social climber. Stanley Tucci, as the king's bisexual brother, is gloriously camp. He seems to have accidentally wandered into the dull proceedings from a far more enjoyable film.

Winslet always convinces even if Sabine is a character that does not exactly offer up much of a challenge. Schoenaerts is the weak link. The lack of chemistry with Winslet is already problematic, but Schoenaerts can't seem to gather any inspiration for his portrayal of La Norte. The architect is a gloomy figure, burdened by the pressure of being in the public eye, his wife's ambitions, and the king's almost impossible expectations. There is a thin line between embodying weariness and resignation and playing every scene as if one is in a flatlined state. It's a disappointment as Schoenaerts is usually a dynamic performer.

Yet the Belgian actor is just one of the many faults that ultimately overwhelm this often well-composed and attractively costumed film. Rickman and his co-screenwriters Allison Deegan and Jeremy Brock have somehow achieved the dubious feat of draining all ounce of passion from what could have been a properly riveting romantic costumer.

A Little Chaos

Directed by: Alan Rickman

Written by: Allison Deegan, Alan Rickman, Jeremy Brock

Starring: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, Helen McCrory, Rupert Penry-Jones, Steven Waddington, Jennifer Ehle, Phyllida Law, Adrian Scarborough