Review of Gosford Park (2001) by Eric J — 09 May 2009

Viewing the last of Robert Altman's Best Picture contenders, "Gosford Park", made me realize that I didn't actually hate his films; rather, my cold reaction to films like "Short Cuts" and my inability to finish "Nashville" was due to their nasty, vain characters. I loved his final film, the warm and deliciously corny "A Prairie Home Companion", and would have probably loved his next planned project, "Hands on a Hardbody".

So it is with "Gosford Park", another film where appealing characters makes all the difference. Wisely anchoring itself on new servant Mary (the always lovable Kelly Macdonald), the film does exactly what it intends to do: take us to the 1930's for a convoluted game of "Clue", while enjoying the ridiculousness of English snobbery, an early Clive Owen role among virtually every UK actor still alive in 2001 (I did not spot Michael Caine or Jason Statham, the latter of whom would not be in this picture anyways), a different kind of "double murder", and Ryan Phillipe's intentionally god-awful Scottish accent.

I could list more in this layered picture, but my one-line review is that finishing "Gosford Park" makes you want to watch it again.