Robert
Altman is the true definition of a great director. The guy has been around for
years making memorable flicks like Mash and Popeye. When his career should have
been winding down, he blazed on to the screen with the one-two punch of The Player
and Short Cuts. In my opinion, these are Altman's best films. Now the king of
the "ensemble-piece" returns with the mystery/comedy Gosford Park. This
beautifully shot character study takes place in an English Mansion where a group
of wealthy snobs and a group of poor servants find themselves being investigated
for a murder.
Altman
takes a good half of the picture establishing characters and situations. Very
little time is invested in the actual murder and you would think with this many
characters, the blame would shift from one suspect to the next. This really isn't
the case, so those expecting a variation of Clue, best stick to the board game.
This
is more about the characters themselves. Once again, Altman shows an incredible
talent for juggling storylines and introducing us to a plethora of interesting
characters. Sadly, many of the characters here are not as well drawn as I hoped
they would be. That's a shame, especially given Gosford Park's lengthy running
time. There are certainly standouts. I really liked Maggie Smith as a feisty countess
and I enjoyed Bob Balaban (who also developed the story with Altman) as a quirky
film maker.
The
best performance is supplied by the dependable Helen Mirren as a lonely housekeeper.
Also along for the ride are engaging turns by Michael Gambon, Emily Watson, Tom
Hollander, Richard E. Grant, James Wilby, and Kelly McDonald. On the flip side
of the coin, Ryan Phillippe (Way of the Gun) and Kirsten Scott Thomas (The English
Patient) did absolutely nothing for me. Much of Gosford Park was inspired by Murder
on the Orient Express. In the capable hands of Altman, the movie works well enough
to keep your eyes from drifting down to your watch.
I
think it would have been more effective had it been trimmed of a little excess.
Still, Altman has fashioned a very entertaining piece of cinema. Even when this
guy isn't at the top of his game, he's at the top of the game.
