Starring Kristen Scott Thomas, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Kelly MacDonald, Clive Owen, Emily Watson, Helen Mirren, Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi, Bob Balaban, Jeremy Northam, Charles Dance, Ryan Phillippe, Camilla Rutherford, Geraldine Somerville, Eileen Atkins. Written by Julian Fellowes. Directed by Robert Altman. Gosford Park is a magnificent British country estate to which Sir William McCordle (Gambon) and his wife, Lady Sylvia (Scott Thomas) gather relations and friends for a shooting party. They have invited an eclectic group including a countess Constance (Smith), a World War I hero Lord Stockbridge (Dance), the British matinee idol Ivor Novello (Northam) and an American film producer (Balaban) who makes Charlie Chan movies. As the guests assemble in the luxurious drawing rooms above, their personal maids and valets swell the ranks of the house servants in the large kitchens and corridors below-stairs. They include the butler Jennings (Bates), Sir William's personal valet (Jacobi), Constance's new servant Mary (MacDonald), the head maid Mrs. Wilson (Mirren), the chief cook Mrs. Croft (Atkins), upstairs maid Elsie (Watson) and Lord Stockbridge's servant Mr. Parks (Owen). Of course all is not as it seems, neither amongst the guests lunching and dining upstairs at their considerable leisure, nor in the attic bedrooms and stark work stations where the servants labor for the comfort of their employers. Sex, class and personal histories culminate in murder. Or possibly two murders. Featuring possibly the deepest talent of any cast ever, Gosford Park is a witty, masterfully crafted mystery and comedy. But it is less an Agatha Christie whodunnit than a Rules of the Game style web of intrigue, where the characters are long on cunning but short on loving thoughts. The story, what there is of it, is told from the point of view of the servants and valets. We see their contempt for their leisurely masters, but also their desire to maintain the relatively cushy lifestyle that servants to the rich enjoy. We are privy to the desperation of those used to living with money in fear in losing it all, and the loneliness in knowing you are only pursued for your money. The constraints of class are expertly illustrated, where even the servants eat their meal seated by rank of their masters. But this kind of story we've seen before - what elevates Gosford Park above the usual TV mystery is the depth in the relationships, the detail in the story and the excellent writing delivered by great actors. And it is often very funny. The shooting of the birds scenes are a riot. The performers are great, and their performances outstanding throughout. I could name twenty, but I'll highlight a few I enjoyed - Kristen Scott Thomas as the heartless wife who lucked into a pot full of money through marriage, Emily Watson as the gossipy maid who longs to make something better of herself, Kelly MacDonald as the good-hearted neophyte servant, Camilla Rutherford as the heart-breaking daughter pursued by men only for her money and possible influence on her father, Clive Owen as the suave valet with a mysterious past. But the standout is Maggie Smith, as the snobbish Countess keenly aware of other's weaknesses, with dependence on Sir William's money being hers. She has many of the great lines, and delivers them with such cutting panache that she steals virtually every scene she's in. Skip the voting, and hand her the Oscar, with apologies to Marisa Tomei and Scarlett Johannsen. Gosford Park is enjoyable from start to finish, an excellent blend of comedy, mystery and class politics. It is one of my favourite films of the year and highly recommended. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page