Gosford Park (DVD)

Gosford Park is a film that in many respects captures the quintessential behaviour and mannerisms of both those with the privilege of being upper class as well as those whose job it is to serve them. In November 1932 Sir William McCordle and his wife Lady Sylvia are gathering together relations and friends for a weekends shooting party. The guests themselves are an eclectic mix and bring with them a wide range of personal maids and valets that swell the ranks in the corridors below-stairs. On the face of things this amassment of people, ignoring their niggles, seems to be going rather well and as the servants asquint themselves and et themselves ...  Read the complete review

Sir William McCordle is a self-made rich man, now living in a huge aristocratic English country home. A large and efficient staff runs his house, and everything is proper and orderly, both upstairs and down. Sir William allows his young wife, Lady Sylvia, to indulge in the legendary pastimes of the wealthy upper class – including shooting weekends and elaborate dinner parties. Below, the servants work tirelessly in their own hierarchy starting with the butler Mr. Jennings, and including the cold but proper housekeeper Mrs. Wilson, and the rough and wise Cook, Mrs. Croft. It seems like everything is as it should be. However, one shooting party weekend for both friends ...  Read the complete review

So this weekend, we had that rarest of domestic disputes - what to see at the pictures. Mrs Lazenby most assuredly did not want to see 'Training Day', and I most definitely did not want to see 'Gosford Park' (you are probably way ahead of me). We managed to get all the way to the cinema queue, and still, neither had given in. We even debated seeing 'Shallow Hal', on the basis that both of us would hate it in equal measure. But I had a problem - unquestionably, we see more films that I want to see than she does, and I knew that if it came right down to it, I would have to give in. I was just working on the possibility that she might give in early. ...  Read the complete review

Gosford Park is a beautifully shot satire that comments on the servant master-relationship during the 1930's through the eyes of the servants in a country house over the course of the weekend when the master of the house is murdered - twice! It is a refreshing reinvention of the 'whodunnit'. I have to say that this is one of my 'must see' films of the month and lets face it this month is an absolute gem! With both 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Gosford Park' released within weeks of each other, it appears to be the month of the ensemble cast. Although the cast of 'Ocean's Eleven' is amazing, it isn't quite as ...  Read the complete review

As is my style when writing these reviews, I'm not going to give away the plot of this film - a film which is one of my all time favourites! If you want the plot, do a search online. If you want honest thoughts, read on. I am a great lover of the board game Cluedo, and murder mystery films or TV shows always have a special place in my heart. But it's rare that murder mystery films are created to a high enough standard that I would watch them over and over again. This is one of those rarities. The amazing cast list may have something to do with it (Helen Mirram, Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ryan Phillippe, Charles ...  Read the complete review