Gosford Park is set in November 1932 and combines murder mystery, character study, an analysis of the class system and drama.
Gosford Park is owned by one Sir William McCordle. He and his wife Lady Sylvia invite members of their family and several friends to the house for a shooting party, ... Read review
Gosford Parkfinds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form. From the opening shots, ... more
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. A...
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Gosford Parkfinds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form. From the opening shots, ... more
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. A...
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It is November, 1932.Gosford Park is the magnificent country estate to which Sir William ... more
McCordle and his wife, Lady Sylvia, gather relations and friends for a weekend shooting party. They have invited an eclectic group. As the guests assemble in the g...
Gosford Parkfinds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form. From the opening shots, ... more
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 Parkmanages to be fabulously entertaining while exposing human shortcomings, compromises and endless need for confession. --Fionn MeadeOn 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 dont 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
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Gosford Parkfinds director Robert Altman in sumptuously fine form. From the opening shots, ... more
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 Parkmanages to be fabulously entertaining while exposing human shortcomings, compromises and endless need for confession. --Fionn MeadeOn 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 dont 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
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Movie, music and celebrity photographs are perfect for fans looking for a memento of their ... more
favourite film, film star, music icon or celebrity. High quality photography that you can be proud to display in your home cinema/theatre, living room on your office desk or around the home.
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Production Year: 1977 - Drama - Director: Franco Zeffirelli - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Anne Bancroft, Robert Powell, Rod Steiger, James Mason, Michael York, Laurence Olivier
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Giles Foster - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Emily Mortimer, Joanna Lumley, Peter O'Toole
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Clever, Slick, Absorbing Disadvantages: Slow to develop
Gosford Park is set in November 1932 and combines murder mystery, character study, an analysis of the class system and drama.
Gosford Park is owned by one Sir William McCordle. He and his wife Lady Sylvia invite members of their family and several friends to the house for a shooting party, coupled with lavish dinners and entertainment. The number of people in the house swells because almost all of the guests bring their sevants with ... ...Rated 15
Winner "Best Original Screenplay" (American Academy Awards)
Winner "Best Director" (Golden Globe Awards)
Winner "Best British Film" (British Academy Awards)
Directed by Robert Altman
Written by Julian Fellows
Extras include Deleted Scenes, Directors' Commentary and the Making of Gosford Park. ... more
Gosford Park is set in November 1932 and combines murder mystery, character study, an analysis of the class system and drama.
Gosford Park is owned by one Sir William McCordle. He and his wife Lady Sylvia invite members of their family and several friends to the house for a shooting party, coupled with lavish dinners and entertainment. The number of people in the house swells because almost all of the guests bring their sevants with them, so right from the start you have the comparisons between the life lived upstairs contrasted with that of life below stairs.
The cast is a star-studded one. To name a few; Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam, Tom Hollander, Richard E. Grant, Derek Jacobi, Stephen Fry, Clive Owen and Ryan Phillipe. This much talent in one fil could have led to the acting equivalent of Robot Wars - all the actors and actresses trying to out-act each other in a variety of interesting ways. In fact, they may have been, but the film is very cleverly directed and all the characters blend to produce a wonderful atmosphere on screen.
The quality of the characters is an important method of telling the story, otherwise the visual clues in the film would be lost and the sheer number of people in each scene could just create noise. There are some wonderful contrasts between the classes explored, such as in the dinner scene where there is candlelight and multiple conversations humming gently throughout the room, then a sudden switch to the kitchen where the heavy pots and pans are being cleaned and servents shout through rooms to coordinate the clean up. It is interesting that there are very few scenes where you don't witness both upper and serving classes in the same room; it becomes clear that the servants miss nothing and are quite happy to share between themselves. Some relationships develop between the classes too - some for the benefit of those involved and some not. The soundtrack is a beutiful compliment to the film and takes inspiration from the era in which it is set. There is very little music played in the scenes below stairs, emphasising the starchy-bareness of the servants' existance, but a mix of classics and contemporary (1930s) pieces compliment the lives of those enjoying the luxuries above stairs.
My only criticism would be that it takes about half the film to set the scene and introduce the vast number of characters. The second half benefits from more grit and tension, and the mysteries surrounding the people present begin to be unravelled. It's worth the wait just to witness Stephen Fry as the bumbling inspector.
This is a clever film and well worth the "Best British Film" received at the British Academy Awards.
Running time; 132 mins Rated 15 Winner "Best Original Screenplay" (American Academy Awards) Winner "Best Director" (Golden Globe Awards) Winner "Best British Film" (British Academy Awards) Directed by Robert Altman Written by Julian Fellows
Extras include Deleted Scenes, Directors' Commentary and the Making of Gosford Park.
Advantages: Agatha Christie-like Disadvantages: Too many characters
Introduction
As soon as I heard about this film, I knew it would be right up my street. Described as a murder mystery, it is set in a stately home in 1930s England. With a large number of famous actors and actresses, including Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Helen Mirren, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry and Clive Owen, it couldn't really go much wrong. And I wasn't disappointed, well, not too disappointed anyway - it takes a while before any action ... ...it's a must-see for anyone that enjoys crime fiction by writers such as Agatha Christie. The director
Robert Altman, who came up with the idea for the story, along with Bob Balaban, was born in Kansas in 1925. He has written, directed and produced a number of films, although the majority of them are not particularly well-known. He is probably best-known for directing Alfred Hitchcock's TV show and writing the script for MASH.
The plot
Sir William ...
sunmeilan 09.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gosford Park (DVD)
Advantages: Impressive cast, nice setting, some good bits Disadvantages: Confusing, too many characters to care about them, dreary in parts
...risible special effects. So reviewing Gosford Park will be a tricky one for me, as I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it, it was just okay.
We don’t visit Blockbuster often but we had a childfree evening and it was my birthday, so Hubby and I went there and perused the video shelves. I love romantic comedies and chick flicks, Hubby isn’t keen. I hated The Matrix, he loved it. So we carefully inspected the videos trying to ... ...up Gosford Park because of the huge cast list – this film is literally stuffed full of well-known British actors. I watch a film often solely because of the stars in it, so this is always a draw. Hubby likes Stephen Fry. So we hired it and sat down to watch, Indian takeaway and Haagen-Dazs ice cream as an accompaniment.
It’s a long film at 2 hours 17 minutes. However, the pace alters throughout the film, so it seems very long in parts ...
KarenUK 24.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gosford Park (DVD)
Advantages: Acting, Sets Disadvantages: Too many characters, no one to sympathise with
Impressed by the cast-list of Gosford Park, and by the reviews I had read praising it to the hilt, I rented the video, turned down the lights and settled back for a cinematic treat. Boasting more fine British actors than you could shake a stick out, and Robert Altman at the directing helm, this couldn’t fail to be anything but brilliant. Or could it?
That Cast List:
Maggie Smith ... Constance, Countess of Trentham Michael Gambon ... Sir William ... ...The Plot:
Gosford Park is the country estate of Sir William McCordle (Gambon) and his wife, Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas). They gather the above ensemble at the house for a weekend shooting party.
The party includes a countess, a war hero, an American film producer and the famous matinee idol Ivor Novello.
As the toffs gather above stairs, their various valets and maids join the Gosford staff below stairs.
So begins two separate but intertwining ...
sandrabarber 27.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gosford Park (DVD)
Advantages: A refreshing reinvention of the "whodunnit"! Disadvantages: Potentially confusing multiple plot.
Gosford Park is a beautifully shot satire that comments on the servant master-relationship during the 1930's through the eyes of the servants in a country house over the course of the weekend when the master of the house is murdered - twice! It is a refreshing reinvention of the 'whodunnit'. I have to say that this was one of my 'must see' films at the time it was released, which was quite an achievement! With both 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Gosford Park' ... ...of which is true of Gosford Park. Gosford Park is predictable (and compared to an action film it could be described as slow) but that is some of its charm. Quite frankly, anyone who doesn't have a pretty fair guess of who they think the murderer is should go and watch 'The Fast and the Furious' (don't get me wrong that is a good film - you just might as well leave your brain at the door.) This doesn't really matter though, because the murder only ...
ickkate 19.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gosford Park (DVD)
Advantages: Superb picture of the 1930's Disadvantages: A little too long possibly
Gosford Park is a film that in many respects captures the quintessential behaviour and mannerisms of both those with the privilege of being upper class as well as those whose job it is to serve them. In November 1932 Sir William McCordle and his wife Lady Sylvia are gathering together relations and friends for a weekends shooting party. The guests themselves are an eclectic mix and bring with them a wide range of personal maids and valets that swell ... ...overall feel and tone of Gosford Park and I personally think that the entire mood of the era is captured extremely well and that the film itself seems to be more a snapshot of a period in history brought to life by the murder tale. The feeling of the era is brought to life through the decadent outfits of the guests upstairs as well as their behaviour, opinions and topical conversation. Downstairs the outfits of the maids, valets and cooks also reinforce ...
MI9to5 16.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gosford Park (DVD)
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Advantages: Beautiful Film, Loverly Story that is well told. Disadvantages: No Extras on the DVD
with the American divorcé Mrs. Simpson; Bertie and Elizabeth inheriting the thrown and becoming King and Queen; the Second World War, and Berties early death in 1952. Elizabeth out lived her husband by over 50 years.
Starring Juliet Aubrey, the BAFTA award winning star of Middlemarch and James Wilby (GosfordPark, A Handful Of Dust)
NO DVD EXTRAS
I love this. I have a soft spot for period dramas in general which started with Pride and Prejudice but this true story warms my heart. I love it, and in my opinion it shows a human side to royal romance that you don't usually think of. The settings and costumes as well as the casting is excellent. The chemistry between Juliet Aubrey and James Wilby works brilliantly and makes you feel as if you are secretly looking in to the real life of Elizabeth and Bertie. The main draw back to this DVD is the lack ...
The action takes place in an old country house in England in the 1930s where friends have been invited for a shooting weekend by the man of the house - William McCordle. He is benefactor to many of his friends and relatives but it seems now that everyone wants a piece of William and his money...
Feature Length Director Commentary, Deleted Scenes With Optional Director Commentary, The Making Of Gosford Park Documentary, The Authenticity Of Gosford Park Documentary
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Award information
OSCAR
Best Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen 2002 (Julian Fellowes)
Professional reviews
Review
"...Elegant....Nuanced and intricate....The cast, of course, delivers the good, with outstanding performances coming from Emily Watson and Helen Mirren..." (Box Office, p.57, 01/01/2002)
"...Elegantly topsy-turvy....It's full of moments to savor....Altman has a spry mastery that's inspiring. The acting, down to the smallest role, is superb..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.52-3, 18/01/2002)
"...Effective ensemble movies depend on choosing the perfect actors, and GOSFORD PARK has perhaps the most dazzling cast that Altman has ever assembled..." (Movieline, p.46-8, 01/12/2001)
"...What makes the achievement of GOSFORD PARK all the more remarkable is that Mr. Altman is 76....The energy that crackles from the screen suggests the clear-sighted joie de vivre of an artist still deeply engaged in the world..." (New York Times, p.E3, 26/12/2001)
"...GOSFORD PARK abounds in scenes to savor. It's a feast, and one of Altman's best..." (Rolling Stone, p.56, 17/01/2002)
"...A revelation....This is a quintessentially British movie, but one which only an outsider with Altman's energy could have made..." (Sight and Sound, p.45-6, 01/02/2002)
"...A supple slice of entertainment, with some classy acting contributions..." (Total Film, p,93, 01/03/2002)
"...This comedy of manners is so much fun that it wouldn't even need the mystery to be one of the year's top entertainments..." (USA Today, p.3D, 26/12/2001)
"...Taking advantage of a splendid cast, a sharply focused script and the fresh English setting, GOSFORD park emerges as one of the most satisfying of Robert Altman's numerous ensemble pictures..." (Variety, p.27-33, 12/11/2001)
DVD Description
In GOSFORD PARK, Robert Altman explores the English class system and master-servant relations via his preferred modus operandi of multiple characters and intertwining storylines, which he achieved so brilliantly in NASHVILLE. Featuring an all-star British ensemble cast, the film recalls both THE RULES OF THE GAME and THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, with a midpoint shift to an Agatha Christie whodunit. In November 1932, a phalanx of moneyed guests arrives for a weekend shooting party at the estate of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas). Mary (Kelly Macdonald), a fresh-faced, naive new maid accompanies the sniping Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), and is shown the ropes by the house's worldly head housemaid, Elsie (Emily Watson). While the masters engage in various financial and sexual intrigues upstairs, the world downstairs has its own curiosities--namely, the predatory valet to a Hollywood producer, Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe), and the mysterious, cagey servant, Robert Parks (Clive Owen). Mary soon discovers that the image of servants living vicariously through their masters is a false one, and that the upstairs-downstairs worlds are often shockingly interwoven. With GOSFORD PARK, Altman delivers a fascinating, blackly comic look at the treacherous yet poignant gamesmanship between the classes.
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