Accessibly artsy is the first impression regarding the 2015 light period drama "A Little Chaos," which Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing on DVD and Blu-ray on August 4 2015. This great summertime choice features Kate Winslet as widowed 17th century landscape designer Sabine de Barra making her own way in a Frenchman's world. More specifically, de Barra faces numerous challenges related to designing and literally getting her hands dirty creating an outdoor ballroom in the new palace of Versailles.
The actual palatial interiors and exteriors, lush outdoor settings, elaborate costumes, and classical background music make owning this one in Blu-ray worth the investment.
The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the "Chaos" trailer expertly conveys the visual and spoken styles of this film. Examples of the latter include some of the clever wordplay in the film and the meaning of the title.
An early scene in which de Barra sashays past male colleagues to interview with landscape artist Andre Le Notre regarding the project establishes the girl power vibe of "Chaos." Latter scenes in which de Barra strives to understand court politics, becomes the center of attention of a group of ladies of the court, and literally battles the elements further establish de Barra as a 17th century woman with 21st century independence and grit.
Examples of the great humor in "Chaos" are the witty exposition at the beginning of the film, the immediate reaction of de Berra to the result of her meeting with Le Notre, and the wonderful childlike elements regarding the portrayal of "Chaos" director Alan Rickman of King Louis XIV. His candid style is truly delightful.
The timeless human qualities of "Chaos" include de Barra mourning the loss of her child under truly traumatic circumstances, Le Notre being very unhappily married to a woman who is a textbook fairy tale villain, de Barra choosing her challenging profession for very practical reasons, and personal issues among members of the royal family.
In other words, "Chaos" is a good film about real people trying to find the same happiness as the rest of us. One difference, aside from living more than 300 years ago, is that they do so in a wonderfully pre-French Revolution opulent setting,
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Chaos" is encouraged to email me. You can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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