Gosford Park (2001)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Robert Altman (idea) and
Bob Balaban (idea) ...

Release Date:

4 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Tea At Four. Dinner At Eight. Murder At Midnight.

Plot:

Multiple storylined drama set in 1932, showing the lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in a country house in England.

Plot Keywords:

Servant | Shooting Party | Money | Murder | Country House

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 27 wins & 49 nominations

Cast

Maggie Smith	...	Constance Trentham
Michael Gambon	...	William McCordle
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Sylvia McCordle
Camilla Rutherford	...	Isobel McCordle
Charles Dance	...	Lord Raymond Stockbridge
Geraldine Somerville	...	Louisa Stockbridge
Tom Hollander	...	Anthony Meredith
Natasha Wightman	...	Lavinia Meredith
Jeremy Northam	...	Ivor Novello
Bob Balaban	...	Morris Weissman
James Wilby	...	Freddie Nesbitt
Claudie Blakley	...	Mabel Nesbitt
Laurence Fox	...	Rupert Standish
Trent Ford	...	Jeremy Blond
Ryan Phillippe	...	Henry Denton

Also Known As:

Gosford Park (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

UK | USA | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | USA:R (certificate #38606) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:16 | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hall Barn, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

USA Films

Trivia:

Ryan Phillippe was cast at the 11th hour replacing an actor who withdrawn.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before William is killed, the dog is on the desk. When the killer enters the room the dog is at the killer's feet. When William is discovered dead, the dog is on the desk again.

Quotes:

Elsie (Head Housemaid): God, look at this, machine made lace.
Barnes: How couture!
Elsie (Head Housemaid): I hate cheap clothes. They're twice the work and they never look as good.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Top Gear: (2006-06-04)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Glamorous Night

Altman Back in Top Form

It thrills me to say that after a string of stinkers ("Dr. T and the Women," "The Gingerbread Man") and so-so light films ("Cookie's Fortune"), Robert Altman has an unequivocally excellent film on his hands with "Gosford Park." It's a film that works on many layers and needs to be seen more than once for one to fully appreciate its resonance.

The film admittedly stinks as a murder mystery---it's almost funny how little Altman himself seems interested in the who-dunnit. But, typically for Altman, it's the deconstruction of the genre that he's interested in, not the genre itself. This movie isn't about a murder in a country house; it's a movie about class differences and people connecting (or not connecting) with one another.

It seems futile to mention stand out performances in a film filled to the rafters with stand-out performances, but I did especially like Emily Watson as a cheeky maid, Helen Mirren as the "perfect servant," and Kelly MacDonald as the novice lady's attendant who grows more than anyone else over the course of the film.

The film is at its best when it's probing the emotional depths of the story---it comes across as a bit too glib when the satire gets especially acidic (mostly with the Kristin Scott Thomas character), but like the best of his movies ("Nashville," "M*A*S*H," "Short Cuts") Altman knows how to control his own cynicism and doesn't let sarcasm rule.

With his on again-off again track record, we can expect the next Altman film to tank, so let's enjoy this one while we can.