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Highly Overrated But Still Good

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I have a lot of favorite movies but this one may be one of the most recently done movies on my list. Each line and scene in this movie is part of an overall picture. If you blink, talk, look away you will miss a piece of a magnificent puzzle. This cast may be one of the most collectively talented casts you could put together. Each member seems to blend in so well that you don't even realize they are acting. I have watched the movie several times and the commentary and I still have a hard time thinking of the characters as anything but who they are in the movie. The set, the lighting, the little bits all add up to an amazing piece of work that should be watched when quiet and in a time when you can really take in the whole story. It is a time that has gone by, a life that has faded, a lifestyle no longer being lived and yet this snapshot makes it feel so very close. The mystery is is not only interesting, but heartfelt. Without giving away plot points, my favorite scene is towards the end between two actresses who are legends and who both prefer the scene with realism and caring without being over the top.A must see if you have ever watched and enjoyed "Downton Abbey", take time to see this masterpiece.

A sharp, almost merciless criticism of English aristocracy circa 1930 (give or take a year or so). This is an homage to the world of the Great Dame, although an homage with an unusually astute and satirical bite. The movie dissects the English upper class with all the methodical coldness of a vivisectionist, and the results aren't pretty : it becomes clear that concepts like "patriotism", "tradition" or "inheritance" are just convenient smokescreens behind which the powerful rich bamboozle and exploit the powerless poor.Still, I'd like to point out (and this might come as a bit of a surprise to the makers of the movie) that one doesn't have to be English, rich and/or aristocratic in order to be decadent. A few decades ago a friend of mine, who is a tax inspector of a specific kind, paid a routine visit to a citizen, in order to verify his activities and administration. Within the space of an hour, she discovered a) that the man ruled a live-in harem of women from Vietnam or Thailand ("my tiny ivory beauties") b) while carrying on with both male and female neighbors. The man also had a large number of relatives, step-relatives and in-laws, most of whom were involved in illicit relationships of stunning complexity. The said citizen tried to ply my friend with cognac, ecstasy and weed ; eventually he became so insistent that she had to flee through a kitchen door. We're not talking British barons here, we're talking small-town artisans in Belgium. But I digress. Judged as a mystery or detective movie, "Gosford Park" might have benefited from some additional twists or red herrings. The movie boasts a dream cast, but that doesn't mean that all performances are stellar : the quality is uneven, ranging from superb to "God, what am I doing here, I'll just try to wing it for a couple of days and then it's back to home sweet home in order to fire my agent". (Stephen Fry seems particularly lost.) On the other hand, the various locations, costumes and props are delightful and convincing. Trampling on the faces of the innocent has rarely looked so good.

*Upstairs* daughters of the Earl of Carton and their husbands: Sylvia & William McCordle Louisa & Raymond Stockbridge Lavinia & Anthony MeredithIsobel McCordle Mabel & Freddie NesbittIvor Novello (William McCordle's second cousin) Morris Weissman Henry Denton (disguised as Morris Weissman's valet)Constance TrenthamRupert Standish Jeremy Blond*Downstairs* Robert Parks (Raymond Stockbridge's valet, Ivor Novello's casual valet) Sarah (Lavinia Meredith's maid) Barnes (Anthony Meredith's valet) Mary Maceachran (Constance Trentham's maid)Jennings (butler) Probert (William McCordle's valet) George (first footman, Rupert Standish's casual valet) Arthur (footman, Jeremy Blond and Morris Weissman's casual valet) Strutt (keeper)Mrs. Wilson (housekeeper) Mrs. Croft (cook) Lewis (Sylvia McCordle's maid) Elsie (head housemaid, Mabel Nesbitt's casual maid) Dorothy (still room maid) Bertha (kitchen maid)

Gosford Park (2001): Dir: Robert Altman / Cast: Helen Mirren, Emily Watson, Kelly MacDonald, Maggie Smith, Stephen Fry: Gosford Park is seen as a playground for the rich. It is a murder mystery although the focus is on class. Plot centers upon a hunting party that arrives at the estate. They are observed through the eyes of their ever present servants. There is a murder and director Robert Altman makes everyone a suspect because everyone has a motive. This is remarkable craft by Altman who not only masters mystery elements but also an ensemble of characters that often appear together within the same frame. Altman's previous works include such classics as Nashville and M.A.S.H. Helen Mirren plays the strict head servant who keeps everything in order. Emily Watson is also a servant who gets caught up in an affair. Kelly MacDonald is the one servant who guides viewers through these events. She is portrayed as an innocent who tells of nothing outside of fact. Maggie Smith plays an elderly guest who belts out the funniest lines. Stephen Fry brings great comic relief as an inspector in that Sherlock Holmes tradition. Everyone delivers flawless performances as they interact within each scene and plotted social event. The story is set in 1932 and backed with exquisite art direction and a theme of wealth, class and placement render it one of Altman's greatest achievements. Score: 10 / 10