Plot: What’s it about?
At 76 years of age and a full eight years removed from any film worthy of recognition, Robert Altman had seemingly joined the ranks of unfortunate directors who had finally “lost their touch.” Disproving the critics is such sweet revenge, isn’t it? Far from being left for dead, Robert Altman has reinvigorated himself, in a film that when clicking on all cylinders, is one of the most dazzling triumphs of the year. And thanks to a wickedly sharp script, and even sharper direction, there’s rarely a moment when it’s not.
Set in England in 1932, this period piece begins simply enough with English aristocracy gathering together for a weekend shooting party at a country estate. The hosts, Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas), have invited their money-suckling relatives over, and along for the ride are their scores of servants. With the wealthy diners upstairs, and their overworked servants downstairs, the film starts off as a comedy of manners. But when someone in the house is killed, the film quickly turns into a playful whodunit murder-mystery that is addictively fascinating in trying to uncover.
The film is quite layered, as Altman deals concurrently with issues in the restrictive British class system of the times, as well as the complex human aspects brought about by the blame game. Utilizing wonderful performances from an ensemble cast that could put most films to shame, everyone’s in on the fun, from Kristin Scott Thomas, Emily Watson, and Ryan Phillippe, to Helen Mirren, Clive Owens (both co-starred in the forgettable “Greenfingers”) and Maggie Smith. For her part, Smith — who can also be seen in this Holiday season’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – is an absolute scene-stealer as the delightfully cruel Constance, Countess of Trentham, whose condescending and crusty aristocratic swagger is shamefully fun to watch.
Part of the fun (or should I say challenge?) is simply trying to figure out which names go with which characters, as the jumble of faces and names popping in and out of scenes, particularly in the beginning, can be quite daunting. By the time you get your bearings on what’s going on though, you’ll be hooked. He may be 76, but if “Gosford Park” is any indication, Altman’s still at the top of his game, and probably has a few more tricks up his sleeves.
Video: How does it look?
Gosford Park is presented in an anamorphic transfer of 2.35:1. Universal (now the distributor for USA Films which originally released this film) has been very good at the new to DVD movies and I’m proud to say that Gosford Park does indeed look very nice. As you can imagine, the palette used here is extremely subdued (as is the case with most Altman movies) and don’t let the bright red on the cover of the box throw you in any way, shape or form. The colors are a bit drab, but then again this is jolly ‘ol England we’re talking about here. Rain abounds! The level of detail is excellent, no edge enhancement can be found and despite a few errors here and there, it’s a great-looking transfer. No major complaints here.
Audio: How does it sound?
Though a Dolby Digital 5.1 track is used, it’s not that strong, as we might expect. The menus do sound pretty good with the somewhat whimsical score used and as for the movie itself, well, it’s mostly dialogue-driven. Still, there are some instances in which the sound does come alive and for that, you’ll be glad that all 5.1 channels are in use. There’s not a whole lot else to say here. When you think “British Murder Mystery” you don’t exactly think of sound; do you?
Supplements: What are the extras?
Though labeled a “Collector’s Edition”, there’s not a whole lot of material to collect here. There are two relatively good commentary tracks, the first by Altman and the second by Oscar Winner, Julian Fellowes (who won for his screenplay here). Altman’s track is pretty consistent with that of his other tracks (M*A*S*H, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and The Player). He’s not too talkative throughout the track, but as the movie is pushing two and a half hours, maybe he’s saving his breath! We find out some of the things about the production, though some of it is redundant from the featurettes included. The better commentary, in my honest opinion, is that of Julian Fellowes. Fellowes is very proud of his work here, and he has a right to be. He’s very talkative and we find out a lot about the characters by listening to him talk. Next up are some deleted scenes with optional commentay by Altman and Fellowes. The scenes are all played as one long scene, though they are broken up into segments (Scene 9, Scene 18, Scene 59/60 etc.). The commentary essentially explains how and why these were not included as most were transitional scenes. Still, lovers of the movie will enjoy having these extra scenes included on the disc. Next up are three featurettes, the first is “The Making of Gosford Park” which is your standard “making of…” featurette. Altman is interviewed and some behind the scenes footage is shown as well. I’d recommend watching this after the movie, as it tends to give away some things. Next is a “Q & A session with the cast and filmmakers”. They are literally on stage and a handful of the cast is represented along with Altman, David Levy and Julian Fellowes. The basics are covered, “How did the film come around?” “How was it cast?” and so on. Very interesting and entertaining. Lastly, there is an interesting little feature called “The Authenticity of Gosford Park”. This concentrates, naturally, on how the film was presented. Actual butlers and maids from the 1930’s were found and used as technical advisors on the film to re-create the the real look of the film. I’m always amazed at how much detail actually goes into films. And that’s it, certainly this disc has enough to tide you over, so if you’re a fan, then you’ll like what you get here.
