Gosford Park

Robert Altman’s social satire cum murder mystery is set during a fall 1932 weekend at an English estate as a gaggle of aristocrats gather with relatives, friends and servants to honk about their self-importance, cackle and squawk about each other’s and their own misfortunes, gossip, and joke about their stations in life. This loose version of Jean Renoir’s 1939 The Rules of the Game becomes a game of Clue as it attempts to illuminate through sudden revelation sketchy characterizations and the symbiotic relationships and fallout of class distinction. It is a sumptuous-looking affair that rivals Altman’s Nashville and Short Cuts in panoramic breadth. It may provide a brisk fix for Upstairs, Downstairs or Agatha Christie junkies, but sacrifices focus to naturalism and insight to a waning sense of purpose. The cast includes Maggie Smith, Bob Balaban, Michael Gambon and Kristin Scott Thomas.