Review of Gosford Park (2001) by Mike D — 20 Mar 2016

If the board game 'Clue' were a movie (and I realize it already was), 'Gosford Park' would fit its pieces nicely thanks to its delicately constructed plot and unique personalities portrayed by its cast. The 2001 Best Picture Academy Award-nominated film had a limited audience both while in theaters and after the fact, but it deserves some attention for a few reasons.

The film, which was directed by Robert Altman (Mash, A Prairie Home Companion), is set in the pre-war English countryside, where a wealthy group of guests are hosted at a manor for a weekend party of hunting, games, singing and...murder? Some of 'Gosford's strengths include its witty-yet-smart dialogue, ability to paint a picture of two very different classes and humanize them (servants and aristocrats) and its killer cast (no pun intended). Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon (both paired together before their 'Harry Potter' days) lead the impressive performances, with a young Ryan Phillippe and Kelly Macdonald also delivering in somewhat surprising ways.

Again, the "tale of two cities" setup for this film works well, as we get to follow the series of events through the eyes of both the upper and lower classes as clues are revealed during the hunt for who's responsible for the event that brought all the fun and games to a standstill. While much of the film is shot within the enormous home, the cinematography is still respectable, and adds to the feeling that the film indeed is set years back in time. But perhaps the best part of 'Gosford' is the character development - especially among the servant class, which helps humanize these people in a way that many films do not.

By the end of 'Gosford Park,' the events of the film are pretty believable, and while there really is no true resolution, audiences strangely are okay with how things turn out. That is just one sign of a truly well-done piece of cinema.