Ballet 422, a documentary that premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, is a rare behindthescenes glimpse into the world of professional ballet. Documentarian Jody Lee Lipes followed Justin Peck, a 25yearold dancer/choreographer and rising star of the ballet world, for two months as he created the New York City Ballet’s 422nd original piece, Paz de la Jolla. Peck’s creative process is tracked from its initial concept through opening night jitters. It’s an exploration of the technical work that goes into turning a creative vision into a reality, from communicating ideas at rehearsals, to lighting, costuming and musical decisions. This is not a performance documentary; this is the ‘making of.’ It’s a portrait of a supremely gifted, young artist at work (and a motivation to do more yoga). (In theaters Feb. 6)
Tim Burton’s 2010 blockbuster adaptation of Alice in Wonderland set off a trend of fairy tale films geared toward grown-ups. Cinderella is the most recent Disney girl invited to sit at the live action adults’ table. Cate Blanchett joins the “Alist Oscar Winners Who Play Evil Stepmoms Club” (Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman, Julia Roberts in Mirror Mirror and Angelina Jolie in Maleficent). Downton Abby’s fresh-faced Lily James stars as Ella. Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden is Prince Charming, and the always-entertaining Helena Bonham Carter rounds out the British cast as The Fairy Godmother. One thing is certain: You can count on director Kenneth Branagh’s PG take on this Disney classic to be a lot more family-friendly than some of the other recent fairy tale updates. A previous director left the film after the studio rejected his darker vision for the project. (In theaters March 13)
I’m a sucker for a British period drama, even when it’s about the French. A Little Chaos, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival, stars Kate Winslet and is directed by Alan Rickman. Set in 17thcentury France, the film tells the fictional story of Sabine De Barra (Winslet), a headstrong gardener who is commissioned to design and build a showpiece section of the gardens at the palace at Versailles for King Louis XIV (played by Rickman himself). What transpires is a battle of the sexes between De Barra and the court’s chief landscape architect, André Le Notre (played by Matthias Schoenaerts). All in all it’s a charming little film with stellar acting by Winslet, an amusing turn by Stanley Tucci as an effeminate court dandy, and Rickman’s deliciously droll performance that’s fit for a king. (In theaters March 27)
