Romantic period drama starring Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts and Alan Rickman, who also directs. Having nearly completed the fabulous gardens at Versailles, Louis XIV's chief designer André Le Nôtre commissions a female landscape gardener to help him finish the task, little realising that horticulture and romance are closer than they think.
Romance blossoms between two landscape gardeners in this spirited costume drama. The story takes place in the 17th century at the Palace of Versailles, where King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman, who also directs) is looking to develop the now-famous gardens. Given the importance of the job, his chief designer, André Le Nôtre (Matthias Schoenaerts), recruits strong-willed widow Sabine de Barra (Kate Winslet) to help construct a lavish outdoor ballroom of sorts. If there's a criticism to be made about the story that follows, it's that the central romance isn't as engaging as it needs to be. Winslet and Schoenaerts are highly talented performers, of course, but there's very little chemistry between them. Still, there are some enjoyable individual scenes - witness Sabine having an informal chat with the King after mistaking him for a gardener - and the film isn't nearly as stilted as the set-up might suggest. In fact, it's rather charming.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Sabine de Barra | Kate Winslet |
| Andre Le Nôtre | Matthias Schoenaerts |
| King Louis XIV | Alan Rickman |
| Madame Le Nôtre | Helen McCrory |
| Philippe, Duc d'Orléans | Stanley Tucci |
| Madame De Montespan | Jennifer Ehle |
| Moulin | Danny Webb |
| Thierry Duras | Steven Waddington |
| Daniel Le Vielle | Adrian Scarborough |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Alan Rickman |
