By Sara Pintilie/entertainment editor
Gosford Park (4 stars)
Gosford Park isn’t for moviegoers looking for flashy gimmicks or sleek special effects.
This 2002 movie, directed by Robert Altman, is a brilliantly constructed murder mystery sprinkled with wit.
High society folk gather together at a gorgeous country house for a weekend party. They hobnob, drink and play music upstairs as a full staff of servants toll away in the lower quarters.
But when the owner of the château, William McCordle (Michael Gambon), is murdered, the guests try to figure out what happened.
Secrets lurking in the house reveal themselves as Altman builds tension.
The multiple character-driven plotlines are intricately intertwined, creating an elegant and enthralling puzzle.
Big stars grace the silver screen, such as Helen Mirren, Ryan Phillippe, Clive Owen, Emily Watson and Maggie Smith, but the movie doesn’t rely on their star power.
In fact, the film downplays its famous names to keep the complicated story intact.
Gosford Park is a voyeuristic journey. The camera slinks room to room capturing every intimate moment in the mansion.
The only fault with this film is with a complicated storyline. The viewer gets a little lost.
It becomes almost taxing trying to keep the family tree straight—it’s a doozy. Trying to remember the genealogy while watching the murder mystery unravel, most viewers would give up.
But give the film a chance. The humdinger of an ending is pitch perfect and worth juggling all the details.
Gosford Park is devilishly entertaining.
