OK... Who Killed This Man & Oh!!! Crumpets!!!!
Written: Mar 30 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Altman's Direction, Script, Locations, Look, Music, & Cast.
Cons: None, Though Hard to Follow at Times & Too Many Characters.
The Bottom Line: Gosford Park is a Fun, Witty Mystery/Period Drama from the late Robert Altman.
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| thevoid99's Full Review: |
Following the early 90s comeback of 1992's The Player and 1993's Short Cuts, Robert Altman was back and in a big way. While his remaining films in the 1990s didn't meet the same critical or commercial glory as the two films did, he still maintained his independent status while having a devoted following around him. Especially in the late 1990s when a new director named Paul Thomas Anderson was making masterpieces like Boogie Nights and Magnolia in the Altman style of huge ensemble casts and little stories in a big film.
By the turn of the new century, Altman was still around though his 2000 film Dr. T & the Women with Richard Gere received lukewarm reviews with critics. Then in 2001, Altman made another film that some considered to be one of his last great features about a murder mystery in the posh, British countryside that involved a conflict between the rich and its servants called Gosford Park.
Written by Julian Fellowes based on an idea by Altman and Bob Balaban, Gosford Park is a period film set in 1930s Britain in the countryside where a group of wealthy people including a few Americans, all accompanied by their servants for a weekend gathering. During the weekend, a murder occurs as it suddenly becomes a mystery on who killed who where a clash between the wealthy and servants begin to occur. Directed by Altman in the same Altman-style of overlapping dialogue and improvisation, Altman takes his style to another world where he would give a fresh spin.
With an all-star cast that includes Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Stephen Fry, Kelly MacDonald, Jeremy Northam, Kristin Scott Thomas, Bob Balaban, Ryan Phillippe, Alan Bates, Richard E. Grant, Camila Rutherford, Emily Watson, Eileen Atkins, Clive Owen, Tom Hollander, Charles Dance, Derek Jacobi, and Geraldine Somerville. Gosford Park is a witty, delightful whodunit from the brilliant Robert Altman.
It's November 1932 as rich socialites, patrons, and such are invited for a weekend gathering of hunting and sorts in the British countryside. Arriving at the home of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) are Constance, Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith) and her maid Mary MacEachern (Kelly MacDonald), Lord and Lady Stockbridge (Charles Dance and Geraldine Somerville) with their servant Robert Parks (Clive Owen), Freddie & Mabel Nesbitt (James Wilby and Claudie Blakley), Lt. Commander Anthony & Lady Lavinia Meredith (Tom Hollander & Natasha Wightman), and American producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban) with Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) accompanied by Weissman's servant Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe). The guests arrive with the servants being accompanied by the head butler Jennings (Alan Bates), housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), head maid Elsie (Emily Watson), jewels security chief George (Richard E. Grant) and chef Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins).
Conversations go on both up in the state rooms and downstairs where the servants go into conversations and such. Denton tells Wilson and Croft that Weissman is a vegetarian while he continues to scour around everything he sees. The Nesbitt marriage is falling apart as Freddie has spent his wife's inheritance as she is believing he's trying to have an affair with McCordle's daughter Isobel (Camila Rutherford). Meredith meanwhile, is trying to have a business deal with McCordle.
During the dinner in both upstairs and downstairs, Denton asks the fellow maids and servants about their backgrounds where Parks revealed he came from an orphanage. The night winds down when a couple of late arrivals in Lord Rupert Standish (Laurence Fox) and his friend Jeremy Blond (Trent Ford). With Mary having to do last-minute work, she continues to try and figure out how to work in a big house with all of these servants without bothering anyone.
The next day, the men led by McCordle go hunting for pheasants as things don't go so well when McCordle's ear was hit. Anthony Meredith and Freddie Nesbitt both want to talk to him about some things while Constance fears her lifetime allowance might be pulled. McCordle's anger and the annoyance of the party has started to get to everyone. During dinner one night, the tension among the upper class comes in and serving were Jennings, Elsie, and George. During a comment made by Lady Sylvia, Elsie unexpectedly fires back in defense of McCordle.
Shocked by her own behavior, Elsie leaves as McCordle leaves dinner as well. Hoping to change the mood of the night, Ivor Novello decides to entertain the guest while Weissman is waiting for some phone calls from California. Novello entertains everyone and later that night, all hell breaks loose when Lady Stockbridge finds McCordle dead.
Inspector Thompson (Stephen Fry) and Constable Dexter (Ron Webster) arrive at the scene to talk to anyone who has been connected to McCordle. Thompson is amazed by the look of the McCordle home while he talks to everyone including servant Probert (Derek Jacobi), Elsie, Constance, Anthony Meredith, and Freddie Nesbitt about their connections. Yet, Thompson doesn't find anything while one major exposure was that Henry Denton is really an American actor posing as a Scotsman in order to study for a role. Unfortunately for Denton, he becomes alienated by both the servants and the rich people.
Still, many wonder what was the motive for killing McCordle though he wasn't a nice man. Elsie waits to depart since she feels she has nothing to do at the home anymore. Mary then discovers a secret from Parks in relation to McCordle as the investigation doesn't go anywhere except though Dexter is the only who finds clues. With the investigation winding down, everyone waits to go home while Mary receives a final lesson in servitude from Mrs. Wilson.
While the movie is a classic whodunit where everyone is a suspect, Robert Altman takes the genre off its feet and makes it into something where it becomes more about the people behind the homes and how they run the place. Yet, it's not surprising that the servants, butlers, cooks, and valets are far more interesting than the people above the basements who spend their time talking about things common people can't relate to. That doesn't mean the posh aren't uninteresting, there's moments when they can be interesting. Yet, they are out of touch somewhat with the real world when Weissman talks about a movie he plans to make yet, most of the people he is surrounded by aren't interested or intend to watch his films. Really, the film is about a murder and how people react to it while living their own idea of life.
Screenwriter Julian Fellowes does an amazing job in taking the structure of making the story feel like a theatrical play of sorts. There's the first act where the story introduces the characters, the second act about the murder and the investigation, and the third is the aftermath. It's all told in a simple way while it's all helmed by the brilliance of Robert Altman. Taking an almost, entirely British cast whom all seem to have some kind of theater background. The film does feel like a theater play where all the actors have their place and their own take on the character.
Yet, Altman deconstructs all of that to the point where the actors feel a bit loose, improvise, and enjoy themselves. Including a very comedic scene where Maggie Smith is seen laughing as if she's having a hell of a time. The camera rarely stands still as it's constantly moving to observe a conversation, a moment where people are having fun or something else. It's all part of the Altman style of improvisation, overlapping dialogue, and something that feels natural for the audience to relate to. Yet, it still works to the point where though at times, it's hard to follow, it's a lot of fun to watch.
Cinematographer Andrew Dunn does great work in capturing the atmosphere and difference of the two cultures with very dark, intimate lighting schemes on the basements to more showy lights on the upstairs part. Production designer Stephen Altman and art director Sarah Hauldren do amazing work in playing to the film's authenticity of 1930s cars, objects, and such with costume designer Jenny Beavan creating wonderfully lavish clothing for the upper class people.
Editor Tim Squyres adds to the film's energetic, improvisational style with some wonderful cutting and tension to build the momentum for the suspense. Sound editor Nigel Mills also adds to the film's atmosphere with a great sequence where Ivor Novello sings and how the people downstairs react to his music playing in the background. The music of Novello is heard as is a wonderfully melodic, suspenseful score from Patrick Doyle whose piano flourishes and orchestral arrangements adds to the film’s unique energy.
Then there's the film's amazing cast in which, there isn't a single bad performance. To the smallest of performances to the most well-known cast member. Yet, it's a bit hard at times to remember everyone involved. Small performances from Trent Ford, Laurence Fox, Teresa Churcher as cook Bertha, Jeremy Swift as the gay butler Arthur, and Ron Webster as Constable Dexter are memorable. Sophie Thompson is great as the ever-loyal Dorothy who seems willing to do anything for Mr. Jennings. Charles Dance and Geraldine are wonderful as Stockbridges with Clive Owen giving a fantastic role as the shady Robert Parks.
Derek Jacobi is wonderful as Mr. McCordle's personal butler with Richard E. Grant as the snotty George. Ryan Phillippe is very good as the shady Henry Denton who gets more than he bargains for when he plays both sides only to be humiliated in front of both. Bob Balaban is excellent as the consumed American producer Weissman who carries his own secret that only Denton knows. Jeremy Northam is wonderful as the entertaining Ivor Novello.
Maggie Smith is wonderfully funny as the spoiled Constance who enjoys her own lifestyle though not fully aware of the real world. Tom Hollander is good as the desperate businessman Meredith with James Wilby as another desperate man in Freddie Nesbitt. Natasha Wightman and Claudie Blakley are excellent as their respective wives to portray the contrast of their own love life with Blakley being more dramatic. Stephen Fry is charming as the inept, distracted Inspector Thompson, who never gets to say his name entirely while Emily Watson is amazing as the Cockney-accent Elsie whose experience and care for McCordle makes her a very complex character. Camila Rutherford is excellent as the suffering Isobel who is often pursued by Freddie with Kristin-Scott Thomas as her mother Sylvia, who is a divine as the b*tchy, bored wife of McCordle.
Sir Michael Gambon is excellent as this awful yet mean man who has become more distracted by money and riches as he opposes all sorts of old businesses and such. Eileen Atkins and Helen Mirren are great as feuding members of the staff who don't like each other with Mirren giving an amazing performance as the perfect servant, Mrs. Wilson. The late Alan Bates is great as the head butler Mr. Jennings who have his own secrets while managing the house while Kelly MacDonald is great as the naive yet observant Mary MacEachern who learns what it takes to be a great servant.
When Gosford Park was released in late 2001, it was a surprise hit commercially and critically as it was hailed as another masterpiece from Robert Altman. The film would win several awards including a Golden Globe for Best Director to Altman along with a few New York City Film Critics prizes for Altman, screenwriter Julian Fellowes, and Helen Mirren for Supporting Actress. Mirren would win an award from the Screen Actors Guild while the entire cast would also receive the award's top honor for ensemble. At the Academy Awards, despite six nominations including Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actress for both Mirren and Maggie Smith, only walked away with the Original Screenplay Prize for Fellowes as Altman would receive his final Best Director nomination. Altman would continue to work in the next few years for 2003's The Company, the 2004 TV show Tanner on Tanner, and his final film in 2006 for A Prairie Home Companion until his death on November 2006. That same year earlier, Altman would receive a honory Oscar for his entire work.
While not as accessible as other Altman masterpieces like Nashville or Short Cuts, Gosford Park is still an essential from the late Robert Altman. Fans of British period films, whodunits, and British humor will no doubt enjoy this film as well as Altman's unique take. While it's hard to follow at times and there's so many characters that's it's hard to remember them all, it's the fun and joy of watching the people up and down the stairs do silly things as Altman gives the audience something they can relate to. In the end, Gosford Park isn't just a witty, entertaining film from the late Robert Altman but also one of the decade's finest films.
Robert Altman Films:
M.A.S.H. (1970):
http://www.epinions.com/content_328418823812
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971):
http://www.epinions.com/content_163071692420
Nashville (1975):
http://www.epinions.com/content_332797152900
The Player (1992):
http://www.epinions.com/content_334755171972
Short Cuts (1993):
http://www.epinions.com/content_337777626756
A Prairie Home Companion (2006):
http://www.epinions.com/content_237343248004
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
thevoid99
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Member: Steven Flores
Location: Smyrna, Georgia
Reviews written: 1530
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