Rating: 
Summary: Will you have one lump or two?
Review: A little of both, thank you. This is old-fashioned movie making with a versatile and talented cast to boot! This film is richly textured with well-drawn characters and the most subtle of story telling. Is it really about a dastardly deed, if in fact there is a dastardly deed, or just the unavailing of the idiosyncrasies and frailties of the participants? Altman outdoes himself here showing us a well-preserved passion for the fundamentals and roots of good filmmaking. This is a feast for the eye to behold.
Rating: 
Summary: It's ok, but not a masterpiece.
Review: Opinions are sharply divided in this film, and I can see why. First of all I have to say that it was very unfortunate that it was marketed as a murder mystery because it isn't. Sure, there's a murder, but that's treated as hardly important at all. So if you want murder in the 1930s, read Agatha Christie.
Secondly, maybe I'm just dumb, but I could hardly keep track of all the characters, especially the upper-class ones (was this meant to be an ironic comment or something? How all the upper-class people are vapid conformists?) There were too many brown-haired rich women and too many men in suits and it just got really confusing. For this reason, I didn't really enjoy the upper-class scenes because I couldn't work out how people related to each other or why they were saying things or...or anything.
The working-class scenes were much better and are the main reason why I'm giving this movie 3 stars. It really brought home to me how unfair the class system was and the contrast between the lives of the servants and their employers.
This movie could have used some cutting. I'm sorry, but it could. No matter how interesting characters are (and these weren't THAT interesting) you can't expect everything they do to be interesting. Any scene they have should advance the story. That was my main problem with this movie - I like something where plot is considered as well as character.
I was sickened to see all the reviews here which act patronising and say 'oh, if you didn't like this movie you're a dumb brainless hick who only wants explosions and sex.' I resent that implication! Just because someone doesn't like the same things you do does not mean they are stupid - honestly, that's the sort of thing you teach little children.
Anyway, if you REALLY like things set in the 1930s, or if you're interested in class differences, or if you don't like fast-paced films, Gosford Park may be for you. Just don't see it for the mystery. Really, really don't.
Rating:
Summary: Very well, sir
Review: The master collaborator Robert Altman probably doesn't mind, but Julian Fellowes has done it again. The first-time film screenwriter, who walked away with "Gosford Park's" only Oscar in March, deftly steals the show with his commentary on the DVD version of the film. Fellowes is deeply knowledgeable about the English upper class's old traditions and serves as an entertaining guide into their curious world as it was in the 1930s -- the era depicted in "Gosford." Hardly pausing for a breath or needing to collect his thoughts, the British writer-actor delivers one of the best DVD commentaries to date. Altman, who appears on a separate commentary track, has his moments as well. The secret to his success? Altman gathers a great cast and then waits for them to make on-camera mistakes, thus hitting "that truth button." Altman, amiable and alert, speaks in the tones of an expert witness at a malpractice trial. He's nudged along by his son, production designer Stephen Altman, and producer David Levy (both unidentified until the commentary is over). In a 20-minute section of deleted footage, Altman confidently gives the merits of each scene and then dismisses them (even Maggie Smith feels his ax). The DVD comes in widescreen only, helping viewers track the comings and goings of Altman's 40 or so players. The picture looks OK; a bit soft and dark in places. The aspect ratio is about 2.27:1 with the 16x9 monitor enhancement. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound adds unexpected life to the proceedings, delivering great atmospherics. As with any Altman movie, conversations overlap willy-nilly, with lines coming from any direction, as they would in real life.
Rating:
Summary: Great Atmosphere and a Lot of Fun--DVD Has Great Extras
Review: I really enjoyed _Gosford Park_, a period, costume drama something in the mold of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. A group of upper-class British society types and their hangers-on gather at a country estate for a weekend of shooting. During the course of the weekend, the lord of the manor is killed and a rather bumbling detective comes in to investigate the crime. Sounds like something you've seen before, doesn't it? Well, the brilliance of the film comes in the fact that the story focuses on the various servants--valets, cooks, butlers, etc.--who make up the "below stairs" society in the house. We see those above stairs through their eyes, as well as the comings and goings related to the murder investigation. The actual murder isn't really solved per se, though we know who did it by film's end. What really matters are the interactions between people and the exploration of this little-seen society, in which social hierarchy is just as important, if not more so, than in the above stairs world. The DVD has some excellent extras--an extended sequence of deleted scenes, with insightful commentary regarding why they were cut; an interesting behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the film; a brief look at the accuracy of the film--they actually tracked down a head cook, a butler, and a ladies' serving maid who acted as consultants to make sure the actors were realistic; and a great question and answer sequence that catches several of the cast and crew following a special screening of the film. It's obvious that all involved were having a great time making this movie, and that infectious spirit of fun comes through quite vividly.
Rating: 
Summary: Aweful, Boring and a Waste of time.
Review: This rambling sham of a movie is one of the worst movies I've ever wasted my time on. Thank goodness I only rented it.
Rating: 
Summary: Dipping the Upper Crust
Review: Robert Altman always weaves more characters in and out of a story than most directors could handle in a decade. He is the master at this; and his films have a look all their own. The acting in this picture is stellar. Many have lauded Maggie Smith, but she still makes me laugh when applause is given of a musical number and she says, "Oh don't encourage him." Then to see her cackle when Ryan Phillipe gets tea poured in his crotch is a sheer pleasure. Cindy Wilson is again marvelous with a multi-layered performance. Helen Mirren's controlled performance is breathtaking. Even Bob Balaban as the perverse Hollywood director is flits about wonderfully. The DVD version offers a tremendous amount of bonus material. It shows a lot about how Altman works to see the scenes that were edited out, and there are a great many. I particularly enjoyed the one where Jennings (Alan Bates), the oh so proper butler, is pouring wine into a bottle, tastes it appreciately, and then knocks over the bottle accidentally and cracks up as the scene is cut. It's a great little moment to enjoy. This film is a bit a slow, but we can't always be in a hurry, now, can we? I enjoyed it in the theatre, and think the DVD version enhances the movie experience immensely.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: First, I'm a sucker for a period piece. Having said that, I should also mention this movie is not about a mystery. It's about class interaction, and just happens to have a who-done-it in the middle. The mystery is really not the point of the story, nor is it important "who" the who-done-it really is. The showcase of the film is around two completely separate groups of people existing in one house: one living in it, and one making it all work. Beautiful costumes, beautiful scenery, and excellent acting make this a fun movie to watch more than once. If you liked this movie, I suggest "The Importance of Being Earnest".
Rating:
Summary: Witty barbs could leave a body-count!
Review: The witty barbs tossed around in Gosford Park could leave a body-count that even Jason Part Two Billion (coming soon, of course) couldn't match. Many viewers will want to see this movie just for a well-dressed, deceitful, and possibly gay character played by Ryan Phillipe, and who can blame them? Phillipe is a handsome and clever actor. But Maggie Smith really makes the movie, with her quiet little insults and her gentle scene-stealing. The movie is as much about the servants in Gosford Park as about the well-to-do characters who pretend to deserve our attention more. Director Robert Altman brilliantly plays the two sets of characters off each other, toying with their similarities without ignoring the class differences and injustices that keep them apart. Those similarities first become obvious when one of the new arrivals learns that she will be known not by her own name but by the name of the woman she serves. I wouldn't call this a great comedy, or a great mystery, though it strives to be both. Still, I would call it a great showcase of brilliant acting and clever one-liners. The 1930s period costumes and the character studies make it even more enchanting.
Rating:
Summary: All style, no substance and not to mention boring as hell!
Review: If you want critique of social classes, do yourself a favor and watch these masterpieces instead : The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Rules of the Game.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, yes and all that rubbish!
Review: UPDATE --- This film has grown on me with repeat viewings, so I am upgrading my rating to a 4. There are some easily missed subtlties (some of the dialog is hard to catch) which enrich the story. It is also easier to get into the story when you know the relationships between the characters, which may not be 100% clear on first viewing. Similar to some of the other reviewers, I kept waiting for this movie to really GRAB me, which it never did. While it was an interesting study of the English upper class pre-war, I felt more like an outside observer than someone deeply involved in the film. While the acting, settings, and promise of mystery were all fine, when it comes down to it, the film left me a bit cold. It would better suited to a 10 hour mini series on PBS in which you could get much deeper into the stories of all the characters, the era, etc., instead of a 2 hours film that doesn't have enough room to develop . . .
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