Gosford Park [DVD] [2001]

Great murder mystery film. Lots of excellent actors. Plenty of intricate interactions between all of the characters. Faithful depiction of that period in time. No "colour blind" casting for a wee change.

The "ArtHaus" remastering of Robert Altman's classic 'Gosford Park' has to be the definitive edition. I bought it to replace an older edition which was sadly overtired by wear and was incredibly impressed. Not only was the picture quality incredibly sharp, but the sound was also impeccable -- the rainfall in the scene when poor Mary (Kelly Macdonald) is waiting on her employer -- the imperious and wonderfully snarky Lady Trentham (a part Maggie Smith was born to play, and seemingly the model for Downton's Dowager Countess of Grantham) -- could have been in the room.The film itself is a multi-layered masterpiece that bears watching several times to get all of the different subplots, interactions, characterisations, and observations. The excellent ensemble cast is at the height of their powers in this murder mystery that's less about the murder than about the mystery, and features Stephen Fry as an excessively deferential detective who would seemingly rather see ten guilty men go free than ever offend the upper classes.I wholly recommend this film and DVD. My one issue is that English subtitles would have been useful for relatives with hearing problems.

Gosford Park is a highly entertaining British upstairs/downstairs whodunnit set in a 1930's stately home, which examines the social relationships and etiquette of the era and is filled with excellent one-liners and an excellent cast.Opening with a cross-section of British high society arriving at a stately mansion for a weekend shooting party along with their servants at Gosford Park, it is not long before the upstairs downstairs politics of master and servant (illicit sexual trysts, dodgy business deals and unspoken heirarchy's are revealed). Eventually of course the bitter politics and sordid double-dealings lead to the murder of the lord of the manor, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and so the movie transforms from social commentary (with black comedy) to a whodunnit murder mystery. Although, as is eventually revealed, its less of a whodunnit and more of a who cares because it transpires that Sir William was such a loathsome and morally reprehensible character that his loss is mourned by (next to) nobody. And so with a houseful of suspects, both upstairs and downstairs, the task of solving Sir William's murder is assigned to the hapless Inspector Thompson (Stephen Fry), a dithering idiot who contaminates the crime scene and is bullied by the aristocrats. He ignores all the obvious clues much to the frustration of his uniformed working class assistant, whilst the guests try to conceal their deepest darkest secrets.For Gosford Park, a kind of cross between Remains of The Day and an Agatha Christie novel, Director Robert Altman has assembled the cream of British acting talent and provided them with a sparkling script by screenwriter Julian Fellowes. Full of wit and insight, the script provides wonderful material for all its excellent ensemble cast which includes, above stairs; Michael Gambon is the grumpy lord of the manor and Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) his very elegant but dissafected wife. Charles Dance (White Mischief) plays 'war hero' Lord Stockdale, and Geraldine Somerville (Arthur/Harry Potter) his wife. The excellent Jeremy Northam (The Net/Enigma/Emma) is acclaimed songwriter Ivor Novello, and James Wilby (Howard's End) plays the Honorable Freddie Nesbitt, to name but a few.Downstairs the servants include; Ryan Phillipe (Cruel Intentions/Antitrust), Helen Mirren (2010/The Mosquito Coast), Richard E. Grant (Withnail and I/Bram Stoker's Dracula), Alan Bates (The Sum of All Fears, Women In Love), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator/Dead Again), Emily Watson (Angela's Ashes/Breaking The Waves/Red Dragon), Clive Owen and Kelly MacDonald. Particularly good amongst this cast are (perhaps surprisingly) Clive Owen (Croupier/The Bourne Identity), who is a good bet to be the next 007, and Kelly MacDonald (Trainspotting) as Mary, Lady Trentham's Lady's Maid. However it is Dame Maggie Smith (Harry Potter/The prime of Miss Jean Brodie) that steals the show as the acid tongued Lady Trentham.This is undoubtedly Robert Altman's best movie for some time perhaps since The Player and definitely since Short Cuts. Infinitely superior to Altman's last outing, the ill-judged Dr T and the Women, Gosford Park is a very elegant movie performed by a faultless cast and even if the ending is a little flat and unsatisfactory, Gosford Park is never less than entertaining.Four stars ****

Having read some of the other reviews I cannot agree more about the lack of subtitles. I do not have hearing problems but there is so much movement and background noise that the voices of the actors are lost. I watched some of the film years ago, and was very disappointed, but the second time around I watched it all, and it seemed better. With such a stellar cast I expected more, but it was painfully slow, and with so many characters I was not sure who was who. Of course the hierarchy downstairs was very well demonstrated, and the costumes, props, and scenery were outstanding . The music added to the atmosphere, too. So those were the film’s better points. Obviously it was compared with the long running Upstairs, Downstairs, and the later much acclaimed series of Downton Abbey (?). The interview with Robert Altman was very interesting, and by then I began to appreciate the finer points of directing. Eileen Atkins, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, and the American film person were particularly good. The film showed the snobbish and at times selfish and unpleasant side of the “ upper class “. Usually it is the American actors who mumble their way through a film, but usually the actors in British productions are far more articulate. The overall rating for me would have increased by another star if only subtitles had been available.