Friday, March 30, 2007

Gosford Park (2001)

A smorgasbord of British aristocrats and their servants gathers for a weekend shooting party at a country estate called Gosford Park. What follows is a series of interesting interactions and gossip as the camera moves between the ‘upstairs’ (where the guests live) and the ‘downstairs’ (the servants’ quarters). Then one of them is murdered.

The casting and sets are superb, and manage to beautifully recreate a 1930’s England. The whodunit angle is incongruous. The movie is overstuffed with too many characters and subplots jostling for screen space.

It’s a light likeable film, though. And Maggie Smith as the old, biting Countess is outstanding.

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