Movie 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, naïve 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.
| Credits | | Producer: | Bob Balaban, Robert Altman | | Cast: | Alan Bates, Bob Balaban, Camilla Rutherford, Claudie Blakley, Clive Owen, Derek Jacobi, Eileen Atkins, James Wilby, Jeremy Northam, Richard E. Grant, Ryan Phillippe, Sophie Thompson, Stephen Fry, Tom Hollander |
| Details | | Sound: | HiFi Sound, Stereo Sound |
Notes
Theatrical release: December 26, 2001 (Limited)
January 4, 2002 (Expands)
Editorial Reviews
"...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 - Stephen Farber
"...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 - Stephen Holden
"...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 - Mike Clark
"...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 - Chris Wiegand
"...GOSFORD PARK abounds in scenes to savor. It's a feast, and one of Altman's best..."
Rolling Stone - p.56 - Peter Travers
"...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 - Owen Gleiberman
"...A supple slice of entertainment, with some classy acting contributions..."
Total Film - p,93 - Tom Dawson
"...The screenplay is masterful in introducing all the characters and gradually making it clear who they are, what they've done, and what it means....One of the best films of 2001..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (05/05/2002)
"...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 - Todd McCarthy
"...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 - Geoffrey Macnab
Awards
2001Academy AwardsBest Original ScreenplayJulian Fellowes
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