Gosford Park
2001 Directed by Robert Altman
Synopsis
Tea at four. Dinner at eight. Murder at midnight.
Multiple storylined drama set in 1932, showing the lives of upstairs guest and downstairs servants at a party in a country house in England.
Cast
Studio
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The best directed, superbly acted, stunningly scripted, intelligent, socially satirical and most beautifully shot cup of Earl Grey I've ever had.
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After a bunch of so-so and some downright crappy late 90s films, Altman proved with Gosford Park that he was still able to pull off complex, high quality cinema. It is a brilliant composition that maintains a constant flow from the first frame to the last, gliding in a continuous motion through the mansion and its surroundings, smoothly alternating between documenting crowds, smaller groups, couples and individuals.
It is also a distinct Altman product in the way it doesn't follow the traditional rules for a whodunnit. Normally after a murder is committed, the focus shifts from presenting the motives of the attendees to an investigation, but Altman being Altman, that never happens here. Instead the investigator is presented as a…
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2nd film of The December Project
This is a long film, with a TON of characters. The fact that Altman, Balaban and Fellowes succeed in making them all seem different, not to mention make you remember (sort of) who they all are, including their backstories, is astonishing. And the cast they've assembled is nothing short of amazing in itself; everyone from Clive Owen and Maggie Smith to Ryan Phillippe, Michael Gambon, Stephen Fry, Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Helen Mirren... You get the picture.
It's a very relaxed film, drippling out plot-points and set-ups while you're not neccesarily paying strict attention. The tons of plotlines pretty much come together towards the end, which in itself is quite a feat.
The actors…
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Fellowes's script is amazing, but it's the way Altman teases us throughout, his expert, subtle use of the camera as an extra character or narrator, that makes this a great viewing.
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Working with what might be the finest ensemble cast I've encountered, Robert Altman once more manages to strike gold, creating a wickedly funny social satire with a relevance that never feels confined to the period setting as is the case with so many similar films. With the likes of Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Clive Owen, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant, Kelly MacDonald, Helen Mirren, Emily Watson et al doing such stellar work, who should it be that steals the show but Mr Bob Balaban, somehow combining the nerdy type he plays in the Christopher Guest films with a more aggressive Hollywood producer role too (side note: he was Oscar nominated for producing this, about damn time). The laughs…
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A little slow to get started but I guess you have to take your time setting up this many characters. Extremely well acted especially Helen Mirren's scene near the end which is a masterclass in restraint. Though I don't hate "A Beautiful Mind" as much as most, it is tragic that Ron Howard won best director over both Altman and David Lynch.
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Surprisingly enough, the first one and a half hours of exposition was far more entertaining than the "whodunit" part of this draggingly slow two-plus hour film. I actually fell asleep before the ending (then had to read up on it). The twist wasn't anything spectacular, and it's convoluted by the fact that there's far too many characters to keep up with. The story doesn't do it justice, and just makes it a confusing mess. The "whodunit" is actually, who the hell was this character who "done it"?
Positives : The atmosphere was very realistic, and the acting was very, very good. -
Why is it that no one else can do a great movie with a cast of this size? Did Robert Altman have a magical power?
90/100
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A funny, fun, and lively whodunit with a great cast. Helen Mirren shines.
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Downton Abbey: The Movie.
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Personally, I find the comings and goings of early 20th century British bourgeois to be pretty boring. Even if there's a murder afoot. I have to say, though, the cast of this movie really perks things up. Helen Mirren and Kristin Scott Thomas are especially immaculate.
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This film was a whole lot of fun. I absolutely love the era it is set in and the characters, although there are so many of them, all feel fleshed out and fully developed.
The real fun starts when a major player gets murdered, accusations fly and the mystery begins.
Gosford Park has an excellent ensemble cast and everyone here was brilliant. A must-watch if you're a fan of murder mysteries.
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That was an awful lot of rape for a romantic comedy. Still I was surprised that Jack Black stepped up and delivered such a gripping performance as the 'Turtle Dove Strangler.' As usual, Ben Stiller adds very little to the scenes he's in, but manages to reign it in enough that he's less abrasive than he normally is. Not a bad film but it does fall flat in the laughs department. I wouldn't recommend it anyone that isn't a huge fan of rough, graphic, gay sex.
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A gorgeous cocktail of razor sharp wit, biting social commentary, and real heart that gets better every time I watch it.
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This was my second viewing of this superb whodunit which made it quite a different experience. I wasn't so concerned with who was going to die and who the killer was, instead I was able to focus on the subtle clues and the clever satire of culture and genre. I didn't remember this film being as funny as I found it this time. As is his specialty, Robert Altman handles the large ensemble cast with ease giving each character his due time and personality. Perhaps unfair but I couldn't keep watching Downton Abbey as I just wanted to watch Gosford Park instead.