Review of Gosford Park (2001) by Casey L — 17 Jan 2010
Altman's Gosford Park features a top notch script and an all star cast. Remember, we?re talking about Altman here, who seems incapable of creating a film with less than 12 cameo appearances. Anyway, the flick is not wanting for talent.
Thematically, the plot works on two different levels. The surface story is a classic whodunit murder mystery, replete with a stodgy English manor and a bevy of potential suspects. Yes, even the butler is under suspicion, yet Altman is able to take these stereotypes and infuse them with a wicked sense of irony.
The deeper story is a social commentary about the British social cast, particularly the interplay between the upstairs (the social elite and landed gentry) and the downstairs (the household servants.) Both of these themes intertwine and play off one another.
The result is rather like somebody sneaking an honest-to-God epiphany into an Agatha Christie novel.
This review of Gosford Park (2001) was written by Casey L on 17 Jan 2010.
Gosford Park has generally received very positive reviews.
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