Rating: 
Summary: Gosford Park is Altman's triumphant masterpiece
Review: Gosford Park begins with a murder of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) in his library after a shooting party. The suspects run from the upper class strata in his estate including Kristin Scott Thomas as his wife, Jeremy Northam as a silver-screen idol, Maggie Smith as a snobbish countess and a dozen more - along with a huge cluster of maids, footmen and cooks played by the talents of Emily Watson, Kelly MacDonald, Ryan Phillippe et al under the supervision of housekeeper Helen Mirren and majordomo Alan Bates.For fans who crave an intelligent whodunit judging that Gosford Park is Jean Renoir's classic Rules of the Game written by sleuth writers Agatha Christie and Evelyn Waugh will be disappointed. It is precisely a smokescreen to dramatize and mock the British hierachy when the Empire was crumbling in 1932 under financial doldrums and servants pressing for freedom. It is with Altman's mastery in his sweeping visuals that roam and spy amongst the upstairs-downstairs that makes Gosford Park dazzling in its scope of parodying - where you watch the snobs ostracize and the servants fornicate and gossip with deceit - and clinches him a Golden Globe Award for best director. He prudently trains his eye on the talented ensemble that comprises of British screen goddess and Hollywood stars who together, delivers top-notch performances particularly the restraint of Helen Mirren and the dry sardonic Maggie Smith. Julian Fellowes's screenplay which pocketed the Academy Award packs the merits up together to invite audiences to a wicked comedy of manners and class that you never thought could materialize in its scale and supremacy.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: I'm usually a fan of this kind of thing, but 'Gosford Park' left me a little cold. More a study of the English class system than a murder mystery, I found my attention was split between too many subplots and minor characters. This technique usually works for Altman (e.g., 'Short Cuts' and 'The Player') but it relies on the audience really engaging with the material. The central plot which might have held our attention and brought the stories together here - the murder - arrives far too late. It feels like an afterthought. Happily, the performances redeem the film, with Maggie Smith in particular doing a faultless job. She was surely robbed of her third Oscar by Jennifer Connolly who wasn't even nominated in the right category - surely Connolly she should have been up for 'Best Actress in a Leading Role'? Most astonishing of all is that Julian Fellowes took home the Oscar for writing this when every other nominated screenplay - 'Memento', 'Amelie', 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'Monster's Ball' - showed more skill, more innovation and more originality. I don't know how much the producers spent on 'positioning' this film for an Oscar, but they must have taken a hell of a lot of people out to lunch.
Rating: 
Summary: Gasford Park: A Review
Review: Director Robert Altman's Gosford Park wore the most promising façade of a weekend gathering murder-mystery combined with a talented ensemble cast-bringing forth the possibilities of endless plot-twists, secrets, surprises, connections, suspense, and munificent mystery.
And except for plot, secrecy, surprise, suspense, and mystery-it was all there!
Taking place in early 1930's England, in a weekend gathering which involved everyone from aristocratic noblemen to a has-been English actor to a gay Hollywood producer, the film basically contained: Ryan Phillippe, who played an aspiring American actor that slept with every nook and granny in the mansion; a buffoon detective who can basically be described as a sad man's Inspector Clouseau attempting to look like Sherlock Holmes, i.e. a complete abomination of a character; and a murder which took place more than half-way into the film, whose solution just sort of came out in a highly non-dramatic, begrudgingly pointless fashion-something you would expect to find in an inert sexual experience, not a highly acclaimed "murder-mystery".
For, aside from interesting and humorous side-commentary involving what was indeed quite a talented cast (including the likes of Maggie Smith and Alan Bates), Gosford Park's plot was one of dense, obvious simplicity, leaving one to wonder if "plot" would even be the correct word to describe it.
The unconditional love affairs that film critics have with Robert Altman created hype for this film that was insanely unsubstantiated. An L.A. Times' review described the film as having "an Agatha-Christie-style-plot." There must be more spin in Agatha Christie's grave right now than there ever was in a common address by Joseph Stalin. The late Dame was the mastermind of ingenious mysteries, and she usually utilized half the amount of characters that there were in Gosford Park. The critics continued to hail some masterful genius in Altman's depiction of the "upstairs-downstairs" class structure between rich English noblemen and their valets-...
The superfluous lauds and odes of worship by his devoted drones both on the mainstream critique and the elitist-intellectual square might as well be gratifying for Altman, who hasn't made a movie that anybody has actually gone out and seen in four presidential administrations, but the fact is that one would find much more merit in a random BBC made-for-TV Poirot than in Gosford Park.
Not that the film was painful to watch, like most modern films. It wasn't something you would wish a wealthy man would accumulate all the copies of and burn; a There's Something About Mary in a different genre. There was no Ben Stiller nose to duck for cover from, Adam Sandler irritating voice to plug your ears to avoid, or Julia Roberts face to bury your face in your hands to withstand. No. What was truly morose about the film and the whole surrounding scene of critique is that it was the absolute epitome of the declined state of cinema, and the current complete lack of value for story. Going into Gosford Park, the common fan of plot, cunning dialogue, and masterful mystery was turning to his remaining emblem of hope, the one rare apple in the rotten tree full of special effects-movies driven by which are at this point expected to devalue plot and acting. One was hoping for a getaway from it all, and what it ultimately turned out to be was tantamount to a soldier turning to his last trusty rifle after all his others failed him, only to find out it squirted water.
The excruciating salience is that the setting of the film had the potential for endless plot-cycles. The door was open for a clever mind to step in and work-to create. Robert Altman should have known, out of self-honesty, that he doesn't have a clever mind, and should have thus adapted, say, one of Agatha Christie's (or any number of other great mystery writer's) books, and worked it into his "style". He didn't, and ended up with Gosford Park, whose only affect was possibly the gassy feeling left in the moviegoer's stomach after a stationary two-and-a-half-hours.
But the true disheartening factor about Altman's debacle was that it was yet another reminder-the worst kind of reminder, considering one's expectations-that gone are the days of The Witness for the Prosecution (1957), an adaptation that took an already magnificent Christie short-story and improved upon it with scintillating character development, fulfilling plot additions, and dialogue that was oozing with guile.
I, as a lone voice, can only provide you with one concluding word of advice: Gosford Park is worth seeing......
Rating:
Summary: I love it, but it took awhile
Review: It took me about three times of watching this movie to truly like it. I was very disappointed at first. The storyline moves along VERY slowly and there are so many characters that it is difficult to keep track of who's who. There is an immense build-up to the murder, but then discovering "who done it?" seems to be of little importance to the characters, director, and writers. Good parts: Maggie Smith steals the whole movie! What a brilliant actress who adds such wonderful sarcastic snobbery to her role. The whole "Upstairs/Downstairs" idea of the lives of the rich and the lives of the servants is very interesting. An otherwise dull storyline is spiked up with several things happening at once. If you don't like the movie the first or second time, try it a third time. By then, you'll either love it or hate it.
Rating: 
Summary: Godsford's good
Review: This movie is really great! It required thought, which is rare in film. I thought all of the performances were excellent and would recommend it to anyone who likes to be entertained by suspense movies or movies w/ somewhat unexpected endings. Also, The Importance of Being Earnest is really good too, if you enjoy British films.
Rating:
Summary: Nobody would go for Macbeth to find out who is the murderer
Review: I have found Gosford Park be none of those I read about: VIOLENCE? - No: one knife-stick is not a violence nowadays :-), MYSTERY? - no, since about the 30th minute you can read who's who and even anticipate who will be killed and who is the murderer, SEX? - no, a couple of scenes in the belowstairs are vague and not important. The only thing you've heard about which really happens is - THE MURDER.
In spite of all that - this is one of the MOST breath taking movies you can hope for in the last years. R-Altman is a brain of our times - this is what makes thrill out of the project that made me watch until the last end titles. The air of the movie is UNBEATEN! Gosford Park is one of the art pieces - just like Shakespeare's plays - nobody would go for a Macbeth or Romeo and Julia to find out who is the murderer - you watch them to get in the mood of the play for a couple of minutes. It's not the murder and it's investigation, but the way the story is told, which made me feel that Gosford Park an outstanding piece of art.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst mystery ever!!!
Review: I would have gave this movie no stars but one was as low a choice
as they give you. It takes this movie forever to get to the murder and as long to solve. This is no sherlock homes, poirot,or miss marple type mystery. NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!. If you want to waste your money buy this movie. Its long and boring. ...
Rating:
Summary: His best film since MASH
Review: I am a fan of Altman's work, so going into the film "Gosford Park," if nothing else, I expected to be entertained. Much to my surprise, not only was this a funny look at class structure in the 30s, but this is Altman's best film since MASH, which he made more than 30 YEARS AGO. Altman seems to be getting better with age. In my opinion, Altman and not Howard should have won an Oscar last year, let alone two. If he had it wouldn't have necessarily been a career award even though it probably would have viewed that way. This film was THE BEST FILM of 2001. I have always respected Altman for doing challenging, and interesting projects, but not necessarily box office friendly ones. This was, however, one of the rare cases in which a few people went to see a good movie in the theater. The success of the film is due to the impeccable acting in the film, a credit to Altman and the talented cast, which includes: Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Michael Gambon, and Emily Watson just to name a few. But I am forgetting to mention the outstanding Oscar winning script, by first-time writer Julian Fellowes, based on an idea by Altman and Bob Balaban, who oddly enough has become one of my favorite actors. Balaban was in my two favorite movies last year, "Gosford Park" and "Ghost World." Altman is one of my favorite directors of all time because he is a talented man who takes on interesting subject matter, and injects it with a visual style that is very unique. The opening shot of "Gosford Park" is impressive, in that it is a continous shot introducing all of these great characters within this one setting. Most of film takes place at a large mansion. The fluid camera movement through the mansion catching these characters in the middle of their conversations in the very beginning of the film set the tone of the film very well. This is a technique he used, to great effect, in "The Player."
Rating:
Summary: Pinnacle of Mediocrity and Grace
Review: I never understood the appeal of director Robert Altman. Most of his films have been blatantly boring and banal. GOSFORD PARK is the jewel in the crown adorning Altman's prosaic output. GOSFORD PARK is a horrendous bore. The film has a very minimal plot, which is not engaging to say the least. Therefore, one might think that the film would stress character development as a plot device but these characters are about as static as figures in an after-hours wax museum. Only Bob Balaban managed to get some life out of his character as a second rate Hollywood producer. When a crime does actually occur in this film none of the characters even care and therefore why should the viewer? Perhaps Altman doesn't want the viewer to care. This film does not elicit one single human emotion from the viewer. And on the outside chance that the viewer did happen to experience something of an emotion the viewer is reminded by the denouement that such feelings are really not permitted here. As far as I am concerned director Altman made only one good film. THE JAMES DEAN STORY is Altman's finest achievement. It is a highly innovative and underrated masterpiece. It is an eternal piece of filmmaking. I don't really mean to be so hard on Altman or GOSFORD PARK but after all these years I really don't see the emotional punch in his work that he delivered in THE JAMES DEAN STORY way back then.
Rating:
Summary: Very Busy, Very Nice
Review: The thought of one of my favorite directors undertaking a 30's Agatha Christie-type mystery movie guaranteed my attendance. I have learned with Mr. Altman that I may be bewildered, as in "The Player" where I only had the foggiest notion of what was going on. (I always suspected he had collaborated with David Lynch.) The opening scenes in "Gosford Park" are masterful cinematography-beautiful antique cars wending their way though a lush, rainy English countryside toward an obviously important destination. And then, the house/mansion/manor! If all else fails you in the movie, enjoy the house. It is magnificent! The entire cast is separating into the upstairs folk and the downstairs workers. Upstairs all is serene magnificence and downstairs is a rabbit warren of seething humanity. It is confusing, as it is meant to be, when one arrives at a large party only knowing a few. As always, it took me about 15 minutes to understand a word anyone was saying, but I have reconciled myself to this ever since "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Fortunately, I can always understand Dame Maggie Smith who is a countess on an allowance from her less than polished host. She is splendid as always, and brings new meaning to the word spiteful. Her comment to a romantic singing movie star, "It must be so distressing to be in ------a flop." accompanied by an oh-so-polite smile is carried out with perfect malice. She also has an unerring eye for the food, practical woman that she is. When pleased, she says, "yummy, yummy" with a gaze of total satisfaction. We gradually understand everybody is beholden to the host in one way or another and all have excellent motives to do away with him. When that very likely event occurs, all look massively guilty, but singularly cool and calm when the first excitement dies down. A totally incompetent inspector is called to the scene, his antics somewhat jarring but eventually things are sorted out. Helen Mirren has to go a little over the top in her role, but she carries it off effortlessly. I had a fine time, admiring the wall paper in Dame Maggie's room, the fine snippets of conversation, finding out the duties of a still room maid, being bowled over by the prestigious cast, admiring the period clothes and the one American movie producer who is so busy with the details of producing his mystery film, he is quite unconscious of the mystery playing out in front of his face. Good fun and worth seeing.
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