A ‘masterclass’ period drama written by the man behind Downton Abbey is now streaming for free on BBC iPlayer.
Director Robert Altman’s 2001 satirical black comedy Gosford Park, from the pen of Julian Fellowes, is a murder mystery influenced by the French classic The Rules of the Game by Jean Renoir.
Made for under $20million, the film was a worldwide box office smash, grossing more $87m, and was also nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture and best director, while Fellowes walked away with the Oscar for best original screenplay.
The film features a huge ensemble cast loaded with acting stalwarts, including Helen Mirren, Stephen Fry, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Alan Bates, Richard E Grant, and Clive Owen, joined by Kelly Macdonald, Kristin Scott Thomas and Emily Watson, among others.
Set in the 1930s, the movie brings together a group of rich, famous and pretentious people and their servants under the same roof for an exciting weekend at an English country house and hunting resort – Gosford Park. When a murder occurs after a dinner party, the film shows the mosaic of characters and their different perspectives as each of them becomes a suspect.
Fellowes’s massively successful TV series Downton Abbey was originally meant to be a spin-off of Gosford Park, but it was then developed as a standalone property, still heavily inspired by Altman’s film.
With a smashing 87 per cent critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film, which also won two BAFTAs, has been lauded by reviewers, with one reviewer saying: “A beautifully acted, intricately made, and delightfully critical picture that nonetheless locates moments of humanity in a debased class system.”
Another critic wrote: “The beauty of Robert Altman’s Gosford Park is how it delicately balances the numerous storylines to create a wonderful mosaic of characters.”
While a third reviewer called it “a masterclass in narrative plate-spinning from Robert Altman and his feast of a cast.”
Yet another impressed critic said: “Taking advantage of a splendid cast, a sharply focused script and the fresh English setting, “Gosford Park” emerges as one of the most satisfying of Robert Altman’s numerous ensemble pictures.”
Audiences were just as delighted by the film, with one viewer writing: “Just excellent, very funny, excellent actors, brilliant writing & of course one of the best directors ever. Just maybe the best ever… and can be re-watched numerous times just for pure pleasure.”
Another said: “What makes this movie work so well for me is how the characters have their own personality. Their actions ring true to their motives and the drama is entirely human even with the various contrivances. The actions felt appropriate for the period and I believed this to be a story that could actually have happened. It is sincere and bittersweet.”
Gosford Park is available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer.