Rating: 
Summary: A World All Its Own
Review: I was enchanted with the world Robert Altman has created in Gosford Park from the moment the period music began, and we watched a town car waiting in front of the country house -- the rain pouring down and the young ladies maid standing stoically, dripping wet, waiting for her mistress to come out of the house and get into the car. By the time the car and we had arrived at Gosford Park, and we had met all the upstairs and downstairs people, I didn't want to leave any of them.There were the nasty and the good, the rich and the wannabe rich, the mysterious and the bitter all mixed up together in a mystery plot that was really of no consequence to the story other than to force secrets to be revealed. What a pleasure it was to watch the unveiling of these, layer upon layer. How Altman was able to give each of these talented actors and actresses their place in the sun I will never know. But he did, and we learned enough about the lowliest kitchen maid to the lords of the manor to make each come off the screen and take on life. Everyone was excellent. I remember particularly Kelly Macdonald as the innocent eyes of the film, Kristen Scott Thomas being beautifully shallow, Charles Dance and Maggie Smith with the best lines in the movie, James Wilby as a slimy wannabe, and Helen Mirren and Eileen Atkins as two warring below stairs combatants. Alan Bates played the butler with a secret of his own and tall Emily Watson, with a backbone like steel, triumphed in the end. Jeremy Northam as the real Ivor Novello was charming, and has an unexpectedly fine voice. As the cool, still center of the mystery, Clive Owen as Robert Parks was a magnetic presence to watch. He took over the screen in each of his scenes. Those of us who still remember moments in Nashville, or in MASH, or in any of Altman's other unforgettable films, and those who come new to his directorial skills have to cheer at the world he has created at the age of 70 plus. Bravo to all!
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth The Trip
Review: Have been waiting for this movie ever since I first found out about the shooting this past spring. Robert Altman is one of my favorite directors.
None of the thearters in my area were showing it, so I went online to search are someplace that might be somewhat close might be showing it. I finally found a theater about 70 miles away that had it. I ventured a trip and was not disappointed.
Several critics have said Gosford Park is one of Altman's best and I found that I must agree.
This film is a cross between Upstairs/Downstairs and Agatha Christie.For his first venture into a murder mystery, Altman has a assembled a superb ensemble cast.The setting, a grand country house of member of the British upper class, is impressive and grand looking. The plot twists and various characters keeps you on you toes. The inter-action between the "Upstairs" inhabitants and the "Belowstairs" inhabitants and each other keeps you watching.
Although it's rated R,it is more for suggestive nature of some of the dialogue and actions. For except for two or three of the scenes the sexual content is limited.
After traveling to see Gosford Park, I must say it was well worth the trip and I look forward to the release later this year of the video and the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic British Black Comedy...by an American?
Review: Yes indeed! Robert Altman directs this stunning ensemble cast in a film which is "Murder on the Orient Express" meets "Dinner at Eight" meets "Murder by Death". Set in England in the 1930's a group of high society gathers at one Gosford Park for a hunting party. Among the many guests are Lords and Ladies, a British actor who has made a name in Hollywood, a Hollywood producer (of Charlie Chan films no less) and all of thier valets and maids, all with something to gain, hide or see. All arrive on the appointed date and settle in to just another weekend of sport, of the outdoor and indoor ilk all which culminates in the murder of the Lord of Gosford Park himself. As the characters go about thier rountines of country life (the Lords and Ladies indescretions as well as thier valets and maids) we find that there are many suspects and motives to such a crime, including the Lady of the house herself. Every character has something to gain and lose with the demise of the Lord. There is his sister who has an allowance which is rumoured to be cut off at any moment, played brilliantly by Maggie Smith. There is another Lord who's wife it seems has a very familiar relationship with the Lord of the manor. There is the Lady of the house herself, who was uncerimoniously chosen to be his wife from a card game. The rest of the guests all have reason to be suspect as well due to liasions and impending business ruin. Then, there are the servants, maids and valet's, all of whom are none too saddened by the sudden departure of the Lord from this world. The film is saturated with dry British humor and even the American, although mocked constantly, manages to get a line in as well on a phone call to his studio when he asks the serious question "Is Claudette Colbert English, or is she just affected?" It is a not so typical look at the country manor life-style of the seemingly well-to-do and a rather intriguing look at the descretion expected of the servants who are privvy to just about everything with an old-fashioned murder mystery to boot. Incredible cast, script and direction in this film and worthy of many nods and awards from the academy.
Rating: 
Summary: The Butler Did It
Review: At first glance the subject of a high-toned, Very proper English Murder Mystery-Upstairs Downstairs, Comedy of Manners-type film would be an odd choice for the very American director, Robert Altman. But if David Mamet could do something similar in "The Winslow Boy" and Scorsese in "The Age of Innocence," why not Altman?
A number of people gather together for a Hunting weekend at the Gosford Park manor owned by Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and Lady Sylvia McCordle (Kristin Scott Thomas). Among the guests are: Constance (Maggie Smith) who is given the wittiest and bitchiest lines of the film and delivers them in her patented wittiest and bitchiest way, Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban) a Hollywood producer who makes Charlie Chan movies, doing research for his next and Henry Denton (Ryan Phillipe)posing as a Scottish valet to Weissman; he too doing research for a movie.
But, as is the norm with this type of movie, it's "downstairs" where most of the fun, intrigue and action is happening. Helen Mirren, Emily Watson, Clive Owen, Alan Bates, Eileen Atkins and Derek Jacoby are just a few of the extraordinary actors inhabiting the nether regions of Gosford Park like the valet room, the kitchen, the maid's rooms, etc. It's these people that are, of course running the show..not the other way around.
What is extremely interesting about this film is that the camera is always moving...we don't hear or see everything that is going on: the camera and sound swoops in and out of conversations and situations as a guest might do....moving around a party. And what this does is make you concentrate more on the proceedings so as not to miss anything; and this, in a nutshell, is the genius of Altman..plain and simple.
There is a murder but it is oddly enough not a focal point in the film...it's more like just another spat or broken tea cup or a flattened souffle. Some, but not a lot of attention is paid. The motivations of the murderer are different though, interesting, novel and a bit Oedipal.
Maggie Smith steals the show, I think because her part is simply showier but Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, Emily Watson and Kristin Scott-Thomas certainly make their presence felt.
"Gosford Park" is too long by about 15 minutes, but it is nonetheless a gorgeous movie to behold...shot in sumptuous colors with outstanding decor. 1932 England for the Aristocracy, post WWI and pre WWII, must have been a wonderful place to be: slightly off kilter because of the devastation of the first World War, yet filled with hope that their way of life would continue without interruption...forever. Altman captures this hope in "Gosford Park" but tints it with the reality that only historical hindsight can provide.
Rating:
Summary: 20th Century Jane Austen mystery.....
Review: My husband and I saw Gosford Park last night, and from the comments we heard and our own impressions, I think this film will appeal to a particular market segment consisting of those who: know, love, and appreciate Jane Austen's irony and view of the upper classes and those who pretend to be like them; are fans of Mr. Altman's film "Short Cuts"; are Anglophiles who have gone beyond mere adulation and truly love the British with all their strengths and shortcomings; understand British accents and British humor including the 'Black Adder'; voted for Al Gore; saw at least some of the Masterpiece Theatre presentations; understand British class differences; read British mysteries particularly P.D. James; are fans of PBS Mystery who recognize Clive Owen ('Second Sight'), Helen Mirran ('Prime Suspect'), Michael Gambon ('Maigret'), Charles Dance ('Sherlock Holmes' and 'Jewel in the Crown'), Derek Jacobi ('Cadfael'), Eileen Atkins ('Vanity Fair'), and scores of others including Kristen Scott Thomas, Alan Bates, Stephen Fry, and the delicious Maggie Smith who just keeps getting better and better; don't own anything Burberry makes (especially after seen Jennifer Saunders wearing it) or keep it hidden in the back of the closet. This is undoubtedly one of the best films I have seen in a while (maybe ever) and it's been nominated for five Golden Globes including Best Picture. I WILL buy the DVD version. Hours after seeing the film various bits of information kept popping into my head. Probably one of the most subtle aspects of the film is the story inside the story inside the story. The plot is very clever. And there's the rub. Although some of the critics have likened the movie to tales by Evelyn Waugh I would not. This film is not nostalgic about a disappearing Empire. Nor is it light enough to be a Noel Coward imitation as others have suggested although Jeremy Northern's performance certainly has aspects that will remind one of the "Top Hat and Tails" of the 1930s. Like Jane Austen's 'Mansefield Park', this film has a grim side and is about morality or the lack of it. I find the screenplay more akin to Hamlet-MacBeth-Lear as it is truly a tragedy. Familiar connections are everything in life and everthing in the plot of GOSFORD PARK. A few other comments: Unlike other films with dozens of talented actors, the actors do not fall all over each other, nor do they attempt to steal scenes. The acting is incredibly professional and seamless. You would never know unless you were familiar with the biographies of these individuals that most of them have won various 'best acting' awards and several of them are OBE (Order of the British Empire=Dames and Knights). One negative--We saw the film on the big screen, and both developed motion sickness as the film is really designed for a smaller screen. We stuck it out until the end because the film is that good. We had the same experience with 'Persuasion' which was really made for tv but released on movie screens. GOSFORD PARK will be much better on a smaller screen. It is definitely PBS bound unless A&E snatches it up first which not likely for many reasons. The film definintely champions the underclass, the working class, the exploited. I love this film. It's a sock in the eye to those who believe they are better than others. Illustrious ancestors don't count. There are plenty of "commoners" who can trace their ancestry back to an errant Knight, and plenty of people living lives of conspicuous consumption whose origins are suspect.
Rating:
Summary: Gotta see it again
Review: Saw a preview screening and, maybe because the film is slow moving, in soft focus, and the theatre's projection made it softer, I fell asleep halfway. But it was very good so I will see it again. I simply let the blizzard of characters and motion wash over me. Do not get yourself into a homework mode, trying to remember who everybody is. Just dig it. I focused on this: In every scene, once the camera stops, in every scene, repeat, every, there is something vertical coming down the middle of the screen, either an object or a shape or a color, or, more subtly, the edge of a character, so that the screen is always divided into left and right. If one person is on-screen, he or she inhabits one side of the screen only, the edge of his or her body hitting that invisible middle vertical line. Ditto, horizontals, Wainscotting, the top edge of a table, the roof of a convertible, mullions on a window, divide the screen more or less halfway into a top and bottom. This is brilliant. The screen is now divided into four quadrants. And this visual structure permits the superb cinematographer and the wonderful art director/set designer to fill the screen with endless objects and detail and motion and visual chaos of all sorts-- While still maintaining visual order. Turns out it's a whodunnit.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: Great Film! This is probably one of the best movies I have ever seen. The cast is excellent (I am not personally a fan of Ryan Phillippe, but even he was good.)
Rating:
Summary: Stylish and Sophisticated Satire of Class Distinctions
Review: Ensemble films can be so much fun, especially when they're British ensemble films and GOSFORD PARK is one of the very best. GOSFORD PARK takes place in November 1932, at the country home of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and Lady Sylvia McCordle (Kristin Scott Thomas). Sir William and Lady Sylvia have invited a houseful of guests to Gosford Park for a shooting party. At first, the viewer might wonder who all the people are, but make no mistake, by the film's end, you'll know them and know them well...if you're paying attention. The characters in GOSFORD PARK are, basically, divided into two groups: the "upstairs" group and the "downstairs" group. The "upstairs" group includes Sir William's sister, Constance, Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), Lady Sylvia's sister, Louisa (Geraldine Somerville) and Louisa's husband, Commander Anthony Meredith (Tom Hollander). A gay Hollywood producer, Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban) also shows up, his "valet," Henry Denton (Ryan Philippe) in tow. The cast forming the "downstairs" group is just as impressive. There is the butler, Jennings (Alan Bates), the housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), the cook, Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins) and assorted others. GOSFORD PARK is a classic country house murder mystery and, a lot, lot more. As a classic murder mystery, the set up is more important than the dastardly deed, itself. The murder, when it does happen, is almost eclipsed by what happens before and what happens afterward. And, of course, almost everyone has a motive for the crime, prompting the appearance of a detective who seems to care about everything but the solving of the murder. When the identity of the real murderer is revealed, I think viewers will be surprised. But, of course, GOSFORD PARK is much more than a murder mystery. It's primary purpose is to tell us what it was like to live in an English manor house during the 1930s than it is about a murder. It's about the rigorous role class distinctions played at that time and the constraints they put on relationships. I think people who didn't like the film, might have missed the point and saw GOSFORD PARK as a murder mystery only. GOSFORD PARK is such a stylish, sophisticated film, yet it's also very subtle. It explores class and ethnic distinctions in gestures, mannerisms and subtext. GOSFORD PARK is ensemble filmmaking at its very best. As a satire of class distinctions, an ensemble piece, an English country house murder, GOSFORD PARK is one of the most stylish and multi-layered films I've ever seen. I think the film is just about flawless and definitely deserved the Oscar it failed to receive. I would recommend it highly to those who love intelligent, sophisticated satire.
Rating:
Summary: "Nothing's more exhausting than breaking in a lady's maid."
Review: The upperclass friends and relations of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) arrive at his country house for a weekend of shooting, accompanied by maids, footmen, and valets, all of whom will be staying under one roof. Sir William is a mean-spirited and self-centered old man, married to a much younger, emotionally distant wife (Kristin Scott Thomas), with many family members dependent upon his continuing largesse. The hilariously waspish Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), who believes she has a lifetime stipend, arrives with young Mary Maceachran (Kelly MacDonald), who is trying valiantly to become a good lady's maid. Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), a Hollywood star, and Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), a producer of Charlie Chan movies, are the only guests without aristocratic backgrounds and inherited privilege. The atmosphere of the house, filled with venomous "friends" and relations, soon becomes even more poisonous. The "below stairs" lives of the servants are also fully revealed, as they share living quarters, eat meals together, tend to the laundry and cooking, and gossip about their employers. The butler Jennings (Alan Bates) and the head housekeeper (Helen Mirren) run the household and try to guarantee that no real-world cares will intrude upon the lives of their employers. Since "upstairs" and "downstairs" occasionally meet very privately at night, secrets abound, many of them secrets of long standing. When Sir William is poisoned and stabbed ("Trust Sir William to be murdered twice"), nearly everyone has a motive for wanting him dead. For director Robert Altman, the primary focus of the film is on the characters, their way of life, and their values, with the murder mystery secondary. Set in late November, the end of the year 1932, the action takes place when this secure aristocratic lifestyle is also nearing its end, something that the arrival of the newly rich Hollywood characters, Novello and Weissman, illustrates. Dramatic cinematography (by Andrew Dunn) emphasizes the cold and rainy dreariness of the weekend, and suggests parallels with the coldness of the dying aristocracy. Interior shots reveal the contrasts between the elegant and mannered lives of the "upstairs" characters and the hardworking daily lives of the "downstairs" characters, who adhere to their own rigid social codes. Every detail rings true, and as the characters' lives and interrelationships are revealed obliquely in brief snippets of seemingly unrelated conversations, a broad picture of the upstairs and downstairs lifestyles gradually emerges. Fully developed, many-leveled, wonderfully acted, often funny, and impeccably directed and filmed, this is a film one can watch again and again with delight. Mary Whipple
Rating:
Summary: More Than Meets The Eye -- Pity Some Can't Graps That.
Review: Within the movie world it is pretty much taken as a given, and has been for years, that Robert Altman isn't for all tastes. Yet even with that in mind, when reading over many of the one star reviews here, it is difficult to know whether I should laugh or shake my head in dismay.
As the movie viewing public, or more sadly should I say, the American viewing public reached such a vapid, vacuous, and unsophisticated level of taste that any movie which isn't full of car chases, explosions, or in which the immediate plot has not unfolded three minutes after the opening credits have been completed and everything has not been wrapped up in 95 minutes? Given the box office take of tripe like "Are We There Yet," and "Bogeyman" I strongly suspect that the answer is a sad and resounding "YES."
If you can't be bothered with such inconveniences as character development, nuance in plot, and a sense that there is much more going on in the story that is unfolding on the screen than there is a good chance that "Gosford Park," is not for you. If these things don't scare you and you are willing to open yourself up to the notion that this isn't simply a straight forward murder mystery devoid of social commentary you might want to give it a chance. If you relish movies in which subtlety, sharp writing and a story that works on more than one level (and simplistic one at that) than what are you waiting for.
And lastly, for those of you who can't write a one star review for this exceptional movie without using the words "boring," "dull," etc. I have good news for you. "Weekend at Bernie's II" is available on DVD. After all, what is more "bourgeois" than using the word " bourgeois" as a putdown?
|
