While
GOSFORD PARK ($27) is a film that I like very much, I recognize
that this movie isn’t going to appeal to every taste. Even fans of
director Robert Altman will find GOSFORD PARK to be more Merchant
Ivory than M*A*S*H, but if you are drawn to interesting character
studies and meticulous recreations of bygone eras, this film has a lot
to offer. Of course, I should also mention that this is a sharply written
film that did receive an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, so
I am not alone in my opinions about this wonderful film.
GOSFORD
PARK is billed as a murder mystery,
but this aspect of the plot really takes a backseat its story of class
distinction set at an English country manor during a weekend hunting party
circa 1932. We see the world above stairs amongst the petty squabblings
of the self-absorbed aristocracy, but the real life of the house happens
below stairs in the realm of the all seeing and all knowing servants.
Once the audience spends an hour becoming acquainted with all the little
idiosyncrasies of everyone in the household, someone is murdered…
twice. To say anymore about the mystery would certainly spoil it for those
not already familiar with GOSFORD PARK.
The
huge ensemble cast of GOSFORD PARK is uniformly excellent and had
it not been for the fact that Robert Altman was the director, it is doubtful
that so many superb performers would consented to performing in the film,
especially since many of them took on what amounted to glorified bit roles.
Of course, amongst so many characters, there are certain roles in film
that allow a few excellent performers to truly stand out. Maggie Smith
got one of the plum roles as the snooty Countess of Trentham and earned
her self an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Helen
Mirren was also nominated for the same award for her outstanding portrayal
of the housekeeper Mrs. Wilson, who keeps everything running with the
utmost efficiency. The cast of GOSFORD PARK also features Michael
Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles Dance, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban,
Alan Bates, Eileen Atkins, Derek Jacobi, Emily Watson, Richard E. Grant,
Kelly Macdonald, Clive Owen, Stephen Fry and Ryan Phillippe.
Universal
Studios Home Video has made GOSFORD PARK available on DVD in a
2.35:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement
for 16:9 displays. GOSFORD PARK has a decidedly antiqued looked
that I would imagine were achieved through filtering and other photographic
processes. For this reason, some individuals may not be happy with the
overall look of GOSFORD PARK on DVD. The image can sometimes be
a bit soft and fuzzy, but I think that the look of GOSFORD PARK
works exceedingly well to create the film’s atmosphere and bring
its period setting back to life. For the most part the picture is well
defined, which allows one to appreciate the meticulous detail of the film’s
sets and costumes. There is some film grain in the picture and some of
the photographic filtering allows the image to come across as somewhat
noisy on DVD.
Colors
lean a bit towards yellow, as if the filmmakers were trying create the
look of an aged photograph of the period. Much of the time hues can be
a bit subdued and even a little cold, which also works well in creating
the films appropriately reserved atmosphere. Interiors are decidedly warmer,
especially those that are below stairs, where the warmth and life of the
house truly emanate. Blacks are accurately rendered, contrast is generally
smooth and the level of shadow detail is just fine. Digital compression
artifacts are well concealed throughout the film.
As
a dialogue driven film, GOSFORD PARK doesn’t allow its Dolby
Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack to stand out very much. There are few opportunities
for active sound effects, with the opening storm and the shooting scene
being amongst the sequences in the film when they are truly noticeable.
The rest of the time, the track is fairly quiet, with only ambient sounds
and film score being the most notable sound elements to make use of the
peripheral channels. Patrick Doyle’s enjoyable score is well recorded
and nicely integrated into the sound mix. As for the bass channel, only
the storm and shooting sequences, as well as the film’s score seem
to take real advantage of it. Dialogue is crisply rendered throughout
the course of the film with excellent intelligibility. Subtitles are provided
on the DVD in English and Spanish.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as the DVD’s supplemental materials.
GOSFORD PARK includes two separate running audio commentaries;
the first with is with director Robert Altman, production designer Stephen
Altman, and producer David Levy, while the second track features screenwriter
Julian Fellowes. Both talks are interesting and take a look at the material
from different viewpoints. Altman and company look at GOSFORD PARK
from an overall filmmaking aspect, while Fellowes delves deeper into the
realm of class distinction.
Roughly
twenty minutes of deleted scenes are also provided on the DVD, with the
option of director’s commentary. None of the deleted scenes change
the film in any significant way, but they do flesh out characters even
further. The featurette The Making of Gosford Park runs
shy of twenty minutes and gives the viewer a look at Altman’s filmmaking
process, as well as offering interview footage with members of the cast
& crew. The Authenticity of ‘Gosford Park is an
eight-minute featurette that introduces a trio of elderly technical advisors
that were in service on English estates during the period that the film
depicts. Actually, it is very interesting to see these experts instruct
the cast and crew in the proper way that servants did various things during
that period. A Cast & Filmmaker Q&A Session that
took place after a screening of the film at The Academy Of Television
Arts & Sciences has been provided on the DVD as well. Running twenty-five
minutes, the program allowed Robert Altman, Julian Fellowes, David Levy,
Bob Balaban, Kelly Macdonald, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam and Ryan Phillippe
to answer questions about the film in front of a live audience. A theatrical
trailer and cast & filmmaker filmographies close out the DVD’s
supplemental materials.
GOSFORD
PARK is a meticulously crafted,
superbly written and beautifully acted film. I found the movie to be incredibly
entertaining, but I realize that this look at British social hierarchy
and class distinction in an English manor home isn’t going to be
to everyone’s liking. Still, the DVD doesn’t have any technical
flaws and accurately recreates the film’s antiqued look, so fans
should be more than pleased with the presentation. That, along with the
fine array of supplemental materials, makes this a DVD that fans will
want to own.
While
GOSFORD PARK ($27) is a film that I like very much, I recognize
that this movie isn’t going to appeal to every taste. Even fans of
director Robert Altman will find GOSFORD PARK to be more Merchant
Ivory than M*A*S*H, but if you are drawn to interesting character
studies and meticulous recreations of bygone eras, this film has a lot
to offer. Of course, I should also mention that this is a sharply written
film that did receive an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, so
I am not alone in my opinions about this wonderful film.
GOSFORD
PARK is billed as a murder mystery,
but this aspect of the plot really takes a backseat its story of class
distinction set at an English country manor during a weekend hunting party
circa 1932. We see the world above stairs amongst the petty squabblings
of the self-absorbed aristocracy, but the real life of the house happens
below stairs in the realm of the all seeing and all knowing servants.
Once the audience spends an hour becoming acquainted with all the little
idiosyncrasies of everyone in the household, someone is murdered…
twice. To say anymore about the mystery would certainly spoil it for those
not already familiar with GOSFORD PARK.
The
huge ensemble cast of GOSFORD PARK is uniformly excellent and had
it not been for the fact that Robert Altman was the director, it is doubtful
that so many superb performers would consented to performing in the film,
especially since many of them took on what amounted to glorified bit roles.
Of course, amongst so many characters, there are certain roles in film
that allow a few excellent performers to truly stand out. Maggie Smith
got one of the plum roles as the snooty Countess of Trentham and earned
her self an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Helen
Mirren was also nominated for the same award for her outstanding portrayal
of the housekeeper Mrs. Wilson, who keeps everything running with the
utmost efficiency. The cast of GOSFORD PARK also features Michael
Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles Dance, Jeremy Northam, Bob Balaban,
Alan Bates, Eileen Atkins, Derek Jacobi, Emily Watson, Richard E. Grant,
Kelly Macdonald, Clive Owen, Stephen Fry and Ryan Phillippe.
Universal
Studios Home Video has made GOSFORD PARK available on DVD in a
2.35:1 wide screen presentation that features the anamorphic enhancement
for 16:9 displays. GOSFORD PARK has a decidedly antiqued looked
that I would imagine were achieved through filtering and other photographic
processes. For this reason, some individuals may not be happy with the
overall look of GOSFORD PARK on DVD. The image can sometimes be
a bit soft and fuzzy, but I think that the look of GOSFORD PARK
works exceedingly well to create the film’s atmosphere and bring
its period setting back to life. For the most part the picture is well
defined, which allows one to appreciate the meticulous detail of the film’s
sets and costumes. There is some film grain in the picture and some of
the photographic filtering allows the image to come across as somewhat
noisy on DVD.
Colors
lean a bit towards yellow, as if the filmmakers were trying create the
look of an aged photograph of the period. Much of the time hues can be
a bit subdued and even a little cold, which also works well in creating
the films appropriately reserved atmosphere. Interiors are decidedly warmer,
especially those that are below stairs, where the warmth and life of the
house truly emanate. Blacks are accurately rendered, contrast is generally
smooth and the level of shadow detail is just fine. Digital compression
artifacts are well concealed throughout the film.
As
a dialogue driven film, GOSFORD PARK doesn’t allow its Dolby
Digital 5.1 channel soundtrack to stand out very much. There are few opportunities
for active sound effects, with the opening storm and the shooting scene
being amongst the sequences in the film when they are truly noticeable.
The rest of the time, the track is fairly quiet, with only ambient sounds
and film score being the most notable sound elements to make use of the
peripheral channels. Patrick Doyle’s enjoyable score is well recorded
and nicely integrated into the sound mix. As for the bass channel, only
the storm and shooting sequences, as well as the film’s score seem
to take real advantage of it. Dialogue is crisply rendered throughout
the course of the film with excellent intelligibility. Subtitles are provided
on the DVD in English and Spanish.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD’s interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to the standard scene selection
and set up features, as well as the DVD’s supplemental materials.
GOSFORD PARK includes two separate running audio commentaries;
the first with is with director Robert Altman, production designer Stephen
Altman, and producer David Levy, while the second track features screenwriter
Julian Fellowes. Both talks are interesting and take a look at the material
from different viewpoints. Altman and company look at GOSFORD PARK
from an overall filmmaking aspect, while Fellowes delves deeper into the
realm of class distinction.
Roughly
twenty minutes of deleted scenes are also provided on the DVD, with the
option of director’s commentary. None of the deleted scenes change
the film in any significant way, but they do flesh out characters even
further. The featurette The Making of Gosford Park runs
shy of twenty minutes and gives the viewer a look at Altman’s filmmaking
process, as well as offering interview footage with members of the cast
& crew. The Authenticity of ‘Gosford Park is an
eight-minute featurette that introduces a trio of elderly technical advisors
that were in service on English estates during the period that the film
depicts. Actually, it is very interesting to see these experts instruct
the cast and crew in the proper way that servants did various things during
that period. A Cast & Filmmaker Q&A Session that
took place after a screening of the film at The Academy Of Television
Arts & Sciences has been provided on the DVD as well. Running twenty-five
minutes, the program allowed Robert Altman, Julian Fellowes, David Levy,
Bob Balaban, Kelly Macdonald, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam and Ryan Phillippe
to answer questions about the film in front of a live audience. A theatrical
trailer and cast & filmmaker filmographies close out the DVD’s
supplemental materials.
GOSFORD
PARK is a meticulously crafted,
superbly written and beautifully acted film. I found the movie to be incredibly
entertaining, but I realize that this look at British social hierarchy
and class distinction in an English manor home isn’t going to be
to everyone’s liking. Still, the DVD doesn’t have any technical
flaws and accurately recreates the film’s antiqued look, so fans
should be more than pleased with the presentation. That, along with the
fine array of supplemental materials, makes this a DVD that fans will
want to own.
