Gosford Park ★★★ 2001 (R)

Altman's ensemble take on a British country house murder mystery set in 1932 that showcases both the upstairs and downstairs inhabitants. Actually, the murder is given short shrift in this look at the manners and mores of the snobs and their servants. Sir William McCordle (Gambon), a self-made man, is giving a weekend shooting party whose guests seem mainly to be the grasping relatives of his cold, aristocratic wife, Lady Sylvia (Scott Thomas). He's the murder victim but nobody really seems to care much (he's not a very nice guy). There's even a couple of American interlopers—movie producer Morris Weissman (Balaban) and his “valet” Henry (Phillippe). Keeping who's who straight is confusing and the pacing is sedate but the cinematography is gorgeous and the cast are all-pro. 137m/C VHS, DVD . GB Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, Bob Balaban, Ryan Phillippe, Kelly Macdonald, Clive Owen, Jeremy Northam, Emily Watson, Richard E. Grant, Charles Dance, Geraldine Somerville, Tom Hollander, James Wilby, Sophie Thompson, Stephen Fry, Ron Webster, Camilla Rutherford, Claudie Blakley, Natasha Wrightman, Jeremy Swift, Teresa Churcher; D: Robert Altman; W: Julian Fellowes; C: Andrew Dunn; M: Patrick Doyle. Oscars ‘01: Orig. Screenplay; British Acad. ‘01: Costume Des., Film; Golden Globes ‘02: Director (Altman); N.Y. Film Critics ‘01: Director (Altman), Screenplay, Support. Actress (Mirren); Natl. Soc. Film Critics ‘01: Director (Altman), Screenplay, Support. Actress (Mirren); Screen Actors Guild ‘01: Support. Actress (Mirren), Cast; Writers Guild ‘01: Orig. Screenplay; Broadcast Film Critics ‘01: Cast.