Gosford Park....

[fajrdrako]

I'd been wanting to see Gosford Park ever since it came out. Finally got to see it tonight.

Good plot. It felt like a new version of Upstairs, Downstairs, but done with less humour.

But not riveting. I didn't really feel much for most of the characters; Parks and Mary were good, but disappointing in the end. I kept wanting the story to latch onto a theme and stay there, but there were too many characters.... I know, the whole point of the movie was that it wasn't romantic fluff or melodrama. The most moving moments were the maid's outburst at the dinner table, and the scene where the sisters, who had been feuding, wept in each other's arms over their lost children.

I really don't like Kirsten Scott Thomas, which is a pity. On the other hand: I don't usually like Maggie Smith, and here, I thought she was terrific.

Comments

Gossamer park

[(Anonymous)]

er - would that be Gosford Park, or have I missed a new Upstairs/Downstairs film?

Barbara
Labrador

Re: Gossamer park

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Note to self: stop writing LJ entries when I should be in bed asleep. Write entries when my vocabulary still works. (Query: and when would that be?)

Yes. I meant Gosford Park. Gosford.

goss must have infected my brain. (in a nice way.)

I wish there *was* a new Upstairs/Downstairs film!

And - it's fun to see you here.

[msdaccxx.livejournal.com]

I bought the DVD and it's a film that really stands repeat viewing. Helen Miren is outstanding, as is Maggie Smith, but there were smaller, less showy parts that were wonderful too - Michael Gambon and James Wilby were excellent. Oh, and shirtless Clive Owen was totally worth the price of the admission.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've always liked Helen Miren - well, I adored her as Inspector Tennison, not so much in "Excalibur". I just looked at her filmography on IMDB - amazing how much she has done!

I'm going to have to ask: which persons were Michael Gambin and James Wilby?

I agree - shirtless Clive Owen was the highlight of the movie. (Shallow? Me?)

Gosford Park

[(Anonymous)]

Michael Gambon was Sir William McCordle.
James Wilby was The Hon. Freddie Nesbitt.

A great film.

Barbara

Re: Gosford Park

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You're right, they were both very, very good. I also liked the man who played the butler. (Jennings, or am I confusing him with the valet?)

[msdaccxx.livejournal.com]

Michael Gambon played Sir William, the guy who got murdered. James Wilby was Freddie, the one with the little mousey wife who was having it away with K S-T and MG's daughter so she'd give him money.

Thinking back, there's other great performances as well - Jeremy Northam as Ivor Novello and Emily Watson as Elsie stand out

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You're right about Emily Watson, and I can't recall having heard of her before. Jeremy Northam I always associate with "An Ideal Husband", and I thought he was good there, too. Here, he was superb. I particularly liked his charming ironic smile.

[msdaccxx.livejournal.com]

Emily Watson is an amazing actor - see if you can get a copy of Lars Von Trier's "Breaking the Waves" in which she gives the most gut-wrenching performance I've ever see any give on film. She's great in "Punch Drunk Love" as well

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip! I'll watch them.

[katkim.livejournal.com]

I found it slightly confusing the first time I watched it. I thought there were too many names thrown around, and too numerous characters walking in and out to fix them to. And I agree, the film would have worked better with a better determined theme/plot/character. As it is, it's a lovely look at that world, but not very involving.

Still, saying that, I got the DVD as a present and you catch more on repeat viewing. It's a film full of details :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, what a beautiful icon!

Yes, at first I was confused about Sir William's sons-in-law and wondered whether I should have been taking notes.

I think perhaps a repeat viewing would be a good idea.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

I saw this in the theater when it came out - looked forward to it eagerly - and was generally disappointed. I adore Maggie Smith, and I felt as if she could have been better used than she was here. Also felt Derek Jacobi was wasted. I had not liked Michael Gambon until I saw this film, but he did such a nice job that I started becoming more fond, and then when I saw him in "Almost Strangers" on BBCA (which won him a BAFTA as Best Actor), I became a fan and now I like him a lot and am pleased we'll see him as Dumbledore.

Tom Hollander, who played Anthony, costarred with Sam West in Cambridge Spies as Guy Burgess, and he was absolutely brilliant - he stole the entire series. He was also in one of my all-time favorite films, Bedrooms and Hallways.

At the time I saw the film, Jeremy Northam was the stand-out for me - I loved him. I thought Ryan Phillipe was quite good too. Am a long-time fan of Helen Mirren and appreciate most things she does. And of course, last but not least, a tip of the derby to Richard E. Grant, who was the acerbic footman George - and the villain Stapleton in my favorite slashy version of Hound of the Baskervilles.

On the whole, though, the film largely left me wanting as far as a cohesive story which drew me in...it didn't do so. Wonderful actors in potential interesting roles, just kind of wandering through the film because Altman didn't now what the heck he wanted to do with them. Too bad!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Derek Jacobi was wasted

I don't even like Derek Jacobi, and I thought so too.

Michael Gambon is Dumbledore? Hmm. Good choice, I think.

I remember Tom Hollander from "Bedroom and Hallways" - he was great.

Yes, Jeremy Northam was wonderful. I wish we'd had more of a look into his head. Though we didn't really get much into anyone's head.

I don't like Richard E. Grant but he was - striking.

Cohesive story? Yeah.... it did seem sort of inchoate. We got all the pieces of the puzzle without being told there was a puzzle for a long time, so it didn't have much of a sense of resolution or coming together.