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Gosford Park is Agatha Christie by way of Robert Altman, which instantly transforms it from ITV3 schedule-filler to classy, starry cinematic exercise. Although not Altman's last film as director (that was 2006's A Prairie Home Companion, released the same year as his death at the age of 81), Gosford Park is arguably his last great contribution to film after an acclaimed career. Made in 2001, Gosford feels like the director's culmination to a decade that had reignited his career, mainly on the back of the LA-centric brace of The Player and Short Cuts in the early 1990s. It simultaneously makes use of Altman's primary, uncontested area of expertise - assembling and marshalling staggeringly large ensemble casts with grace and aplomb - while acting as a departure from his previous work in terms of setting and tone. If it weren't for Altman behind the lens, Gosford Park could hardly be more quintessentially British.
On the face of it, the film seems to be a period whodunit set in a palatial stately home. Although that description is partly accurate, the murder aspect seems almost an afterthought, as if it's simply a nod to convention and the rules of the genre. The killing occurs at least halfway through the two-hour film, and even thereafter the focus is largely on the various characters' reaction to it rather than the search for the culprit (Stephen Fry's hapless detective is in fact the only character that seems out of place). Having said that, the mystery is deftly handled and has a nicely delivered resolution - and with so many possible suspects the film successfully keeps you guessing. Mainly, though, Altman is concerned with the behaviour and interaction of the characters, who are living in the inter-war 1930s as the days of the British aristocracy waited on hand and foot by legions of servants were coming to an end. Although the scenes are fairly evenly split between the "upstairs" and "downstairs" worlds, the narrative is told from the perspective of the servile underclass, and the intrigue, gossip and social hierarchies of the time are presented superbly.
In particular, it's the tiniest gestures and inflections captured by Altman's permanently roving camera that turns the film into something special. Only a director with the cachet of Altman could have assembled a cast of this calibre to share the screen together. From Clive Owen to Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren to Michael Gambon, the credits are a who's who of classically trained British acting talent at the turn of the century. If the film could be said to have a central protagonist (which is a stretch), it would be Kelly McDonald's endearing Mary, maid to Maggie Smith's hilariously snobbish Lady Trentham (who is another standout in the cast). McDonald, recently seen in No Country for Old Men with an unrecognisable accent, is a very empathetic presence. The darkly comic wit that springs from the combination of Altman, the cast, and Julian Fellowes' Oscar-winning screenplay is permanently engaging, complimented by the effective and compelling recreation of a lost world.
The extras
A fairly good offering, the DVD covers most of the desired bases. There is a commentary from Altman and his son/production designer Stephen, which is a rather slow listen but opportunities to hear comments from such venerable directors are rare and so the track is worthwhile. A 20-minute Making Of and a 9-minute featurette on the film's authenticity are interesting, and feature the participation of Altman, Fellowes and much of the cast. The 25-minute Q&A session overstays its welcome slightly, but the deleted scenes (20 minutes' worth), which offer optional commentary, are intermittently intriguing. Disappointingly the disc lacks Julian Fellowes' (apparently very illuminating) commentary from the R1 edition.
The summary
A gripping exposé showing what went on in the microcosm of the rich in years past, given added spice by an extraordinary cast and an engaging central mystery.
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