BLU-RAY REVIEW

Little Chaos, A

Featured In Issue 199, September 2015

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score4
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
62171064
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$$26.98
(Disc Type):
BD-50
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
113
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
(Direct-To-Video Release):
(Disc Release Date):
8/4/2015
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Alan Rickman
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

In A Little Chaos, Sabine de Barra (Winslet), a strong-willed and talented landscape designer is chosen to build one of the main gardens at the new palace at Versailles in the court of King Louis XIV (Rickman). In her new position of power, she challenges gender and class barriers while also becoming professionally and romantically entangled with the court's renowned landscape artist André Le Notre (Schoenaerts). (Gary Reber)

There are no special features, except for an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is gorgeously photographed on Kodak film stock, with a thoroughly natural color palette that exhibits rich and warm hues. The production design is elaborate and perfectly suggestive of the era. Costumes also are intrinsically presented, which is captured in exquisite detail. The interiors during the evening hours are lit by candle light, yet the shadow delineation is stunning. Natural hues are rendered throughout, as in the garden areas, the building site, the green landscapes, the costumes, and fleshtones. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is superb, with fine detail exhibited throughout, especially during close-ups of facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. This is a beautifully visual picture that projects realism, with excellent depth and composition. Reference quality throughout. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is suitably delicate, with nuanced atmospherics and Foley sounds dimensionally positioned throughout the soundfield. The occasional sound effects, such as explosions and a pounding thunderous rainstorm, are enhanced with deep .1 LFE energy. Directionality is excellent with respect to atmospherics, sound effects, and the orchestral music score. The music is beautifully composed and occupies a wide and deep soundstage that extends to the surrounds. Dialogue is the principle sound element and consistently sounds natural and well integrated spatially. This is a wonderfully nuanced soundtrack that at times is effectively holosonic™ in effect and is reference quality. (Gary Reber)