Gosford Park (2001) [R] ****

 A film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net, in 2001.

Ever wondered what Upstairs, Downstairs might be like if brought to the big screen by a prominent American director? Throw in elements of a Dorothy Sayers-style murder mystery and some broad satire, and you have Gosford Park, a pleasantly diverting endeavor that no one will confuse with either Robert Altman's great outings (M*A*S*H, Nashville, Short Cuts) or his duds (Kansas City, Ready to Wear, Dr. T and the Women). This isn't Academy Award material, but it's good enough to provide an enjoyable afternoon or evening, especially for those who love 1930s-era British drama and intrigue. (There are two concrete Upstairs, Downstairs connections. Eileen Atkins, who plays the head cook, Mrs. Croft, in Gosford Park, was an Associate Series Creator of the television program. Meg Wynn Owen, an Upstairs Downstairs regular from 1973-74 as Hazel Bellamy, essays the role of a maid in Gosford Park.)

Gosford Park is an ensemble movie, with perhaps the largest and most distinguished group of actors Altman has ever worked with. The cast list reads like a who's who of British cinema, including the likes of Derek Jacobi, Emily Watson, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Fry, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam, Charles Dance, and Clive Owen. Thrown in for good measure are a Scottish lass (Kelly Macdonald, who charmed viewers in the 2000 art-house favorite, Two Family House) and two Americans (Ryan Phillippe, who doesn't seem out of his depth, and Bob Balaban). With such a roster, two things are never in doubt: (1) the film features some of the best acting in any 2001 feature, and (2) nearly everyone is underused.

Gosford Park takes place in November 1932 during a shooting party at the rural estate of Gosford Park, the home of Sir William and Lady Sylvia McCordle (Michael Gambon and Kristin Scott-Thomas). Their guests include other members of the local nobility, such as Lord Stockbridge (Charles Dance), the Honorable Freddie Nesbitt (James Wilby), and the Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), and some members of the movie-making community: actors Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) and Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe), and producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban). As the story progresses, we become privy to the friction generated by old romances and new rivalries. Even more is going on below the stairs, where the servants live and work. The head of the household, Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), is harboring a long-buried secret that is clawing its way from the grave. Housemaid Elsie (Emily Watson) is secretly carrying on an affair with Sir William. Probert (Derek Jacobi), Sir William's valet, is constantly jumping to fill his master's unusual requests. Into this mix are thrown Mary (Kelly Macdonald), the Countess' maid, and Robert Parks (Clive Owen), Lord Stockbridge's valet, both of whom are new at service. Things are proceeding as smoothly as possible until the unthinkable occurs - a murder. And, with no shortage of suspects both upstairs and downstairs, a top-notch detective is needed to solve the crime. Unfortunately, Inspector Thompson (Stephen Fry) is assigned to the case, and he's more concerned about people mispronouncing his name than about gathering physical evidence.

Gosford Park resembles a jigsaw puzzle where every piece is a tiny work of art, but, when everything is assembled into a whole, it doesn't live up to the promise of its individual components. The less one observes the film's overall storyline and approach and the more one lavishes attention upon the little things, the more satisfying the movie-going experience is likely to be. There are too many characters for any one of them to be truly developed, but we get snippets of the pasts and presents of many of those on hand, and everyone at Gosford Park has an interesting narrative to relate. The difference between this movie and a TV series like Upstairs, Downstairs is that the latter has the opportunity to tell all of those stories, while the former can just give us a snapshot of them.

Like most very British murder mysteries, Gosford Park is as concerned with setup as it is with the act, its aftermath, and the resolution. As a result, the crime doesn't happen until past the film's mid-point. By that time, we have been introduced to everyone and have an idea of what rivalries exist and who harbors ill-will towards whom. There are hints that a murder will be committed - lingering shots of bottles marked poison and comments about a missing knife. After the deed is done, the time has arrived for the appearance of the detective. However, while we may be expecting a Lord Peter Wimsey or Hercule Poirot, what we instead get is the oblivious Inspector Thompson, played with a wonderful low-key comic wit by Stephen Fry. Altman and Fry never go over-the-top in their depiction of Thompson's incompetence - he's no Inspector Clouseau - but this portion of the film allows the director to have some fun at the expense of traditional murder mysteries. Ultimately, the crime is solved, and we learn whodunnit, but the resolution comes because one of the servants does some investigating of her own.

For Altman, who is widely regarded as a master of the ensemble film, Gosford Park represents one of the few instances in which the director has been unable to wrap his arms completely around a large and talented cast. This is certainly an ambitious undertaking, and it's a pleasure to see so many accomplished actors on the screen in one film, each being given the opportunity to deliver their dialogue and inhabit their characters. But perhaps Altman tries to cram a little too much into his 138-minute running length. Things go by too fast and there's little opportunity to identify with anyone in a more than perfunctory manner. Nevertheless, overshooting the mark is infinitely preferable to undershooting it (the failing of far too many cinematic endeavors). Gosford Park is not an uncontested triumph, but it is worth the price of admission. [Berardinelli’s rating: 3 stars out of 4, 75%]

Labels: comedy, drama, mystery, thriller
IMDb 72/100
MetaScore (critics=90, viewers=73)
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=75, viewers=76)
Blu-ray