While it's never floated my boat, "Downton Abbey" nevertheless has plenty of fans as over nine million UK viewers caught the premiere of its third season on TV. It might well be a well-produced drama of the sort the UK excels at but personally, I find such costumed outings rather dour, plodding affairs. However, this movie - with its Agatha Christie-style country house and a cast-list for the ages - offers something a little different. It still feels a little slow but it offers an authentic look at class, privilege and gender politics. It's also brilliantly written, directed and performed and is probably Roger Altman's best film after "MASH".
In 1932, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his trophy wife Sylvia (Kristen Scott Thomas) invite a number of guests over for a shooting weekend. Among their guests are matinée idol Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) and his Hollywood producer friend Morris Weissman (co-producer Bob Balaban) as well as the Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith) and her maid-servant Mary (Kelly MacDonald). As the weekend goes on, Sir William has to fend off constant attempts to secure his fortune from his guests while the gossiping house-staff, led by his butler Jennings (Alan Bates) and housekeeper Mrs Wilson (Helen Mirren), ensure that the weekend goes as smoothly as possible. Before long, a murder is committed but who is the guilty party? Is it head house-maid Elsie (Emily Watson) who has something to hide? Could it be enigmatic valet Mr Denton (Ryan Phillippe) or charismatic loner Parks (Clive Owen), the valet of Lord Stockbridge (Charles Dance)? Hopefully, Inspector Thomson (Stephen Fry) and his constable companion Dexter (Ron Webster) can crack the case before all the guests have to return home...
Like most murder mysteries, "Gosford Park" spends a lot of time filling the screen with details both relevant and irrelevant. In fact, the murder is arguably the most surprisingly thing about the film as so much time is spent with both upstairs with the party-goers and downstairs with the staff that it almost feels like a documentary at times. To prevent boredom from completely taking over, the film injects a good deal of humour into proceedings - Smith's cantankerous countess is witty and loaded with barbed asides while Fry's detective is as gloriously aloof as those he interviews, maintaining an almost Clouseau-like ignorance of the facts presented to him. But all the cast are superb - I've never seen this many British stars at once outside of a Harry Potter film - but this is a true ensemble piece as dialogue blends together to further enhance the authentic feel of the film. The script, penned by "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes, leaves just enough to keep you guessing but because it spends so long setting the crime up, you sort of feel as though he's more concerned about writing a period piece as opposed to a mystery.
Although it won't be to everyone's taste, "Gosford Park" feels like a big-screen outing for Mrs Marple but without the silver-haired sleuth in attendance. Yes, it's brilliantly made and at times very funny but I wanted a bit more pace to proceedings. I honestly felt that once every red herring imaginable had been planted in the first hour-and-a-bit, Fellowes simply worked out yet another possibility and wrote that as the ending. And to be frank, the climax felt a little rushed and the least believable bit of the picture as nobody actually seems that bothered that they've spent the weekend with a murderer in their midst. Still, credit must go towards the look of the film which is spot-on and the actors who are all magnificent. In truth, the film is less a murder-mystery and more a realistic portrayal of life in a country house in the early 1930's. Fellowes almost feels nostalgic for such a time when ladies knew their place, their men could be utter cads without them batting an eyelid and both were wholly reliant on their staff, who held them in mock-respect as though their livelihoods depended on it - which they did, of course. It is as British as Earl Grey tea, cucumber sandwiches and strawberries and cream at Wimbledon - something which appeals more to foreign markets more than the UK where I'm from. After all, if the TV series "Midsomer Murders" can be a global hit...
In 1932, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his trophy wife Sylvia (Kristen Scott Thomas) invite a number of guests over for a shooting weekend. Among their guests are matinée idol Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam) and his Hollywood producer friend Morris Weissman (co-producer Bob Balaban) as well as the Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith) and her maid-servant Mary (Kelly MacDonald). As the weekend goes on, Sir William has to fend off constant attempts to secure his fortune from his guests while the gossiping house-staff, led by his butler Jennings (Alan Bates) and housekeeper Mrs Wilson (Helen Mirren), ensure that the weekend goes as smoothly as possible. Before long, a murder is committed but who is the guilty party? Is it head house-maid Elsie (Emily Watson) who has something to hide? Could it be enigmatic valet Mr Denton (Ryan Phillippe) or charismatic loner Parks (Clive Owen), the valet of Lord Stockbridge (Charles Dance)? Hopefully, Inspector Thomson (Stephen Fry) and his constable companion Dexter (Ron Webster) can crack the case before all the guests have to return home...
Like most murder mysteries, "Gosford Park" spends a lot of time filling the screen with details both relevant and irrelevant. In fact, the murder is arguably the most surprisingly thing about the film as so much time is spent with both upstairs with the party-goers and downstairs with the staff that it almost feels like a documentary at times. To prevent boredom from completely taking over, the film injects a good deal of humour into proceedings - Smith's cantankerous countess is witty and loaded with barbed asides while Fry's detective is as gloriously aloof as those he interviews, maintaining an almost Clouseau-like ignorance of the facts presented to him. But all the cast are superb - I've never seen this many British stars at once outside of a Harry Potter film - but this is a true ensemble piece as dialogue blends together to further enhance the authentic feel of the film. The script, penned by "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes, leaves just enough to keep you guessing but because it spends so long setting the crime up, you sort of feel as though he's more concerned about writing a period piece as opposed to a mystery.
Although it won't be to everyone's taste, "Gosford Park" feels like a big-screen outing for Mrs Marple but without the silver-haired sleuth in attendance. Yes, it's brilliantly made and at times very funny but I wanted a bit more pace to proceedings. I honestly felt that once every red herring imaginable had been planted in the first hour-and-a-bit, Fellowes simply worked out yet another possibility and wrote that as the ending. And to be frank, the climax felt a little rushed and the least believable bit of the picture as nobody actually seems that bothered that they've spent the weekend with a murderer in their midst. Still, credit must go towards the look of the film which is spot-on and the actors who are all magnificent. In truth, the film is less a murder-mystery and more a realistic portrayal of life in a country house in the early 1930's. Fellowes almost feels nostalgic for such a time when ladies knew their place, their men could be utter cads without them batting an eyelid and both were wholly reliant on their staff, who held them in mock-respect as though their livelihoods depended on it - which they did, of course. It is as British as Earl Grey tea, cucumber sandwiches and strawberries and cream at Wimbledon - something which appeals more to foreign markets more than the UK where I'm from. After all, if the TV series "Midsomer Murders" can be a global hit...