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Thursday, August 7, 2008
Movie Review - "Gosford Park," Robert Altman's Misunderstood Murder Mystery
Robert Altman's late career masterpiece "Gosford Park" (2001) was widely misunderstood by by the general movie-going public at the time of its release. The film was billed as a murder mystery, and casual viewers were no doubt expecting another "Murder On The Orient Express."
The tag line, "Tea At Four, Dinner At Eight, Murder At Midnight" reinforced this notion.
But Altman doesn't work within genre guidelines. He skewers them.
Savvy viewers recognize "Gosford Park" for what it is: a critique of early 20th Century British class structure. If you take the film at face value, you will be engrossed watching as the servant class and ruling class interact. If you cling to who-done-it preconceptions, you will be sorely disappointed.
A highlight is the delightfully over the top inspector character. His light comic tone informs the viewer that the murder is not the main thrust of the story, but a The Dark Knight Curse of satire. A further clue is the Hollywood producer who is always on the telephone. (He's working on the new Charlie Chan project.)
In contrast, the scenes which focus on the class system are treated not as satire, but as historically accurate and entirely serious representations. The servants live and work in the mansion basement, doing their best to accommodate the insulated lives of the privileged aristocrats who live above them.
It's no "Nashville," but "Gosford Park" is better than "Short Cuts" and on par with "The Player." And for once, Altman employs a large cast without having them all talk over each other. I appreciate that.
Grade: A-
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