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Gosford Park [2002]
from Entertainment in Video
starring Kristen Scott Thomas, Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant, Ryan Phillippe
directed by Robert Altman

Features:

• PAL

Editorial Review:

Gosford Park finds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form. From the opening shots, as the camera peers through the trees at an opulent English country estate, Altman exploits the 1930s period setting and whodunit formula of the film expertly. Aristocrats gather together for a weekend shooting party with their dutiful servants in tow, and the upstairs/downstairs division of the classes is perfectly tailored to Altman's method (Nashville, Short Cuts) of overlapping bits of dialogue and numerous subplots in order to betray underlying motives and the sins that propel them. Greed, vengeance, snobbery and lust stir comic unrest as the near dizzying effects of the plot twists are allayed by perhaps Altman's strongest ensemble to date.

Maggie Smith is marvellous as Constance, a dependent Countess with a quip for every occasion; Michael Gambon, as the ill-fated host, Sir William McCordle, is one of the most palpably salacious characters ever on screen; Kristin Scott Thomas is perfectly cold, yet sexy, as Lady Sylvia, Sir William's wife; and Helen Mirren, Emily Watson and Clive Owen are equally memorable as key characters from the bustling servants' quarters below. Gosford Park manages to be fabulously entertaining while exposing human shortcomings, compromises and endless need for confession. --Fionn Meade

On the DVD: Gosford Park, presented 2.35:1--Anamorphic Widescreen transfer, is awash with the muted colours and sepia tones which permeate the film, the sound is excellent as the actors were individually miked, so you don’t loose any of the dialogue giving away subtle plot developments. Extras are chunky, with deleted scenes, trailers a couple of documentaries. Most notable are the two commentaries which go a long way to unravelling some of the twistier plot devices and a Q&A session with the Altman and his crew filmed in New York. --Kristen Bowditch

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

• Wonderful, luxurious mystery
  The story opens in 1932 at the country estate of Lord and Lady McCordle; guests arriving for the weekend include friends and relatives and even a Hollywood movie producer. Of course, they bring their servants who bustle around downstairs to make life grand for their betters upstairs. When someone is found dead - and it appears he was murdered twice - everyone seems to have a motive.
  The superb cast of British megastars is led by Maggie Smith who steals the show with her funny/snobby countess role,... more info

• Gosford Park
  'Gosford Park' is an atmospheric period drama set in 1930's England. It looks at the relationships between upstairs and downstairs in a country manor, combined with a murder mystery story. The murder is the least important aspect of this film and it is excellent as a social piece looking at the hierarchy and social conventions of aristocracy at that time. There is an amazing cast who all perform superbly, Maggie Smith is especially good, but they all act with skill and draw you in to their various... more info

• No subtitles available (Just a comment on the DVD!)
  It is a pity that there are no english subtitles available. It makes the understanding particularly difficult from time to time for non-native english speakers, with all that whispering going on especially in the last part of the movie.

• Sure, there's a murder. but it's all done with style
  The murder is the least important element of this movie. For me, the movie is all about style -- English upperclass, country house style with dollops of what it took below the stairs to keep everything running.
  What makes the movie work for me are two things: that style is brought to life with quite a bit of wicked (but not malicious) humor; and second, some extremely good acting. These two elements are exemplified in the funny, mannered performance of Jeremy Northam as Ivor Novello, singing Novello's... more info

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