Nov 26th    
A Little Chaos**     
(GB 2014)     
BBC Films/Lipsync. 117m. ws

In 17th century France, Andre le Notre hires an attractive young widow to design the ornamental gardens for Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles.
Unashamedly decorous historical romantic drama, emphasising the power of beauty, with some occasional moving insights into the characters rather than necessarily into history. All but French in style, but with accomplished English speaking actors instead. 

Written by: Alison Deegan, Alan Rickman, Jeremy Brock.
Producers: Gail Egan, Andrea Calderwood, Bertrand Faivre.
Director: Alan Rickman.
Starring: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alan Rickman, Helen McCrory, Stanley Tucci, Steven Waddington, Danny Webb, Jennifer Ehle, Phyllida Law.
Photography: Ellen Kuras.
Music: Peter Gregson.

Preceded by:
Tom and Jerry in
Polka Dot Puss**
(US 1948. 7m.; d: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera; p: Fred Quimby.)

Nov 13th  
Blitz**  (12A)     
(Curzon Colchester)    

(GB 2024)     
Apple Original/Working Title/Regency/Lammas Park. 120m.

In 1940 a half-black child in London goes AWOL whilst being evacuated, and has a perilous time wanting to get back to his mother.
Modern retelling of WWII successfully conveying the nightmare of the Blitz by squeezing most of the major emergencies into one drama, far removed from the old British stiff upper lip of the period, with most of the characters fashionably dropping their t's. Powerfully and melodramatically but also sensitively done, with homages to The Great Escape and Oliver Twist (and the more originally authentic Fires Were Started), and just the right side of historical veracity.

Written and Directed by: Steve McQueen.
Producers: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Steve McQueen, Anita Overland, Adam Somner, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Paul Weller, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Alex Jennings, and others.
Photography: Yorick Le Saux.
Music: Hans Zimmer.

BLITZ. Poster advertising on the London Underground - one of the major settings for the film itself