With its colourful characters, sumptuous scenery and a screenplay that's both funny and intelligent, A Little Chaos is a summer delight.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2021

Little Chaos sumptuously celebrates a fictitious 17th-century woman's achievements as a landscape gardener at Versailles. Kate Winslet flowers as Sabine, and the story is engaging.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2021

A Little Chaos is an uneven but beautifully performed story of an independent, creative woman and the garden she dreamed up for a king.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2021

The topic is lightweight and the script is a bit directionless, but the superb cast keep things engaging as does Peter Gregson's beautiful score.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 31, 2019

With a generous offering of pomp elsewhere, Rickman does manage to avoid the usual overstatements most actor-directors weigh their films down with, sculpting a project that's stately and modest, but precious little besides.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 4, 2019

No minds will be blown, but there's enough whimsy and charm here to put a smile on your face.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Mar 13, 2019

While the plot might sound like a run-of-the-mill costume snooze, the actors bring it to life so that the esoteric customs of the past make sense among real people.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2018

As for [Alan] Rickman as director, here's hoping he does not leave it too long until he lets his natural creativity behind the camera bloom again.

Full Review | Aug 22, 2018

... neither Sabine, nor Le Notre, nor Luis XIV possess enough charm or force to involve us in their circumstances... [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Dec 12, 2017

Even audiences who don't come expecting nail-biting action may find the pace is overly languorous and the drama somewhat meandering.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 20, 2017

If the film overall never quite works up a full head of steam, it still has enough to recommend it for viewing on a lazy summer's day.

Full Review | Oct 11, 2017

Like all royal palaces, scheming and sabotage are par for the course but A Little Chaos is about the scenery, costumes and performances, notably the one given by splendid Stanley Tucci as the King's camp bisexual brother.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 18, 2017

Flawed 17th-century costume drama.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Feb 6, 2017

It is all rather too restraint and temperate an affair, hugely lacking the decadence and opulence of French aristocratic life.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 12, 2016

A Little Chaos doesn't quite convince as a depiction of life as a 17th century French aristocrat, and is longer than it needs to be, but Madame de Barra's story is an interesting one, and there's plenty to charm green-thumbed film-goers.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 27, 2016

Alan Rickman creates a sweet, charming period piece off an anachronistic but committed, beautifully directed performance from Kate Winslet.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 7, 2016

Rickman keeps the tone fluffy and occasionally self-aware, and even more so than most costume dramas, you always get the feeling that everyone's playing dress-up.

Full Review | Dec 31, 2015

How to describe that thing where you thoroughly enjoy watching something that is neither objectively good, nor enjoyably bad?

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Dec 14, 2015

Rickman has created some wonderful scenes for himself to share with his Sense and Sensibility castmate Winslet.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 14, 2015

An enchanting costume drama about beauty, flowers, love, grief, and impermanence.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 9, 2015