He invites her to travel with him and his court to the Palace of Fontainebleau. "[40], However, David Sexton of the London Evening Standard gave the film a negative review, saying that "Kate Winslet charms as a gardener at the Court of Louis XIV, but it's not enough to keep this inauthentic piece from wilting. Sabine is upstairs, lost in the memory of the day her daughter and husband died: he was taking their daughter with him on a day trip. "[38] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter felt that "This decently acted film is agreeable entertainment, even if it works better on a scene by scene basis than in terms of overall flow. At the Versailles garden site, Sabine is visited by Françoise, who tells her that André's interest in her is only a whim and will prove short-lived. Trellises and arbours formed walls of greenery that strengthened perspectives, while diagonal or winding alleys led to groves designed to surprise visitors. Moody hunk André le Nôtre (Matthias Schoenaerts) interviews a bunch of wigs for a gardening job at Versailles. [20] A scene from the film featuring Winslet and Rickman was revealed on 9 September 2014. Le Nôtre perfected his garden designs in Versailles, using main axes interspersed with secondary alleys marking off the groves. Nor is there a shortage of dramatic stuff as Le Nôtre’s wife (Helen McCrory) attempts to sabotage the garden project. As work begins on her design, Sabine initially makes little progress with the workmen recommended by one of the designers rejected by André. The story was conceived by Allison Deegan, who co-wrote the screenplay along with Rickman and Jeremy Brock. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as the closing night film on 13 September 2014. Afterwards, André finds a glove at the worksite that he knows belongs to his wife Françoise. In return, the artist bequeathed him part of his collections in 1693. As a striking commoner, artlessly beautiful and fearlessly honest, Sabine attracts attention at court, and is befriended by the King's brother Duc Philippe d'Orleans and his wife Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine. It's a constant tap dance between control and freedom and of course the budget guides everything. The king is stunned at the loss of his wife and takes refuge in one of his gardener's work areas, among his prized pear trees. It was the first feature film for Gregson, who previously composed music for a 2014 short film Every Quiet Moment. Made Controller General of Buildings to the King in 1657, five years later, as he was working on the gardens of Chantilly for the Grand Condé, he was summoned to Versailles by Louis XIV. "[42] Kaleem Aftab of The Independent gave the film two out of five stars, noting that while the performances were exceptional, the talents of the players were wasted. He was given a title in 1675 and enjoyed not only the king’s favour but also his friendship – something that was extremely rare – until the end. [5] The film was financed by the Lionsgate UK and produced by BBC Films. [27][28] Rickman presented the film at Camerimage film festival in November 2014. "[11], Despite being set in France, complete filming took place in England. At first they tease her, but when they learn that Sabine is widowed and also lost her 6-year-old daughter, they reveal their own losses and welcome her into their circle, where they often discuss topics the king forbids at court. The app includes the audioguide tour of the Palace and an interactive map of the Estate. It's like a huge all-encompassing eye that sees everything, and it's able to cherry pick; ‘Move that,’ ‘Don't do that,’ ‘Do it this way,’ ‘Change this colour.’ And I don't know where that comes from, but it does, once you're given the job, and I have a feeling Louis probably would've been a great film director. She concluded: "There was a 17-year gap between Rickman's first and second film and on this evidence it's easy to see why. As they are leaving, Sabine sees that the carriage has a faulty wheel and learns from the footman that her husband is taking their daughter to his mistress's home — not on a business trip as he had indicated. After all the interviews, André mulls over the candidates, oppressed by the weight of the king's expectations. Le Nôtre was nearly 70 in 1682, twice the age he appears to be as portrayed by Schoenaerts in the film. That same day, Louis XIV visits Sabine's work site and assesses the project skeptically but allows it to proceed. When Françoise senses his interest in Sabine and warns him against an affair, he quotes her own speech declaring their right to seek comfort elsewhere, and becomes resolute in his intention to pursue a relationship with Sabine.