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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 351912" data-attributes="member: 23">Gosford Park (2001) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmvd.cloud%2F300dpi%2FAA039.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=aa016097f26a1c2abb82e1281baf131cae06906005391d478cf995a9e690d2fe&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 637px" /> The way in which I watched this film had several advantages. Firstly, I went in with absolutely no knowledge of the film. I'd heard of it, and the title and snippets of information such as the poster and thumbnail gave off a Christie-esque period drawing room vibe which appealed. Beyond that - nothing. I didn't know which actors would be appearing in the film. Not one. As the credits appeared on screen with one big name after another I found myself suitably impressed. Helpfully I also knew nothing of the plot, and this worked out for the best since it feels very much a film about character rather than plot. I'm not even sure I'd be able to summarise the film's plot for the first two thirds. In many ways, very little happens, but it's just about spending time with the characters and working out how the pieces all fit together: the hierarchy; the relationships; the enmities; the sexual dalliances; the ulterior motives. Because this is a social occasion we have to delve deep to begin to understand whether a character is being polite or genuine in their interaction. Fresh from watching every episode of Upstairs Downstairs, the similarities between that series and this film were striking. I feel I had a head start with understanding the expectations regarding propriety and etiquette. In particular, this film felt uncannily like the Somerby Park episodes of UpDown in which members of "our" household visited another and the servants had to try and fit in with one another's routines while those above stairs smiled through pained social exchanges and barbed exchanges from those who felt superior while bearing the expected drudgery of pheasant shoots with as much grace as they can muster. There's nothing that can convince me that this wasn't at least partly inspired by UpDown. And since Downton Abbey was essentially a series version of Gosford Park, it reinforces my understanding that Downton was also inspired from UpDown. Perhaps this is widely known or acknowledged, but since I've never watched Downton and until a few months ago I also hadn't seen UpDown or Gosford Park, that's just the view from my bubble. Incidentally, I only found out that Downton was originally planned as a spin-off from Gosford Park last night, after watching the film. Again, I'm glad about this since that knowledge would have coloured how I viewed the film and I was glad to have a starting point of complete neutrality. Incidentally, I also felt there was something of early Knots to the film with some of the tentative relationships and various strained relationships. In particular, the abusive husband (I think I was Freddie Nesbitt) bullying his downtrodden wife into trying to obtain him a loan from her father had strong echoes of Richard Avery. Meanwhile, the Dynasty viewer in me was satisfied by the opulence and glamour. Kristin Scott Thomas was such a wonderful ice queen. And I thought she looked rather like Lorraine Gary circa Jaws which is no bad thing (this could easily have been the unsatisfied socialite version of Ellen Brody who cuckolds her husband with Hooper in the Jaws novel). And of course there was the series of acid drops from Maggie Smith's character to keep people in their place. I thought it interesting, too, that Ivor Novello was included. This made me think perhaps it was based on a true incident but text at the film's end suggested otherwise. I watched Gosford as a Sunday Matinee. A rarity in itself, but I also watched it in bed, which is something I almost never do and so felt appropriately indulgent. In hindsight, I can't imagine watching the film any other way. I tend to watch films quite critically and attentively (a little too much so, I think. I wish I could switch it off), but with Gosford I was in a very relaxed state and allowed it to just wash over me. I didn't realise how invested I was in the whole thing until there was a brief interruption halfway through when some groceries were delivered and it took a couple of knocks on the door to even get my attention. The film wasn't without its little flaws. There were a few turns of phrase that bristled for feeling a little too contemporary. And while most of the casting was spot-on, I found Stephen Fry's arrival a little jarring due to his mugging and hamming. Quirky characters are fine, but they shouldn't know they're quirky, and I found all the raised eyebrows and sing-song delivery too knowing, threatening to break the fourth wall. Fortunately, his role was peripheral enough (and late enough in the film) that it was easy to tune out (I know he's a National Treasure and all that, but the film was already awash with those anyway so this was just one too many). It's a bit of a strange one, this. I loved it, but it's difficult to explain its appeal beyond the fact that it's a fascinating sociological character study. Perhaps it's one of those films that speaks for itself. Or perhaps it's so fascinating and layered it could have a whole thread devoted to it. Whichever it is, I'd say best thing about this film is simply that it is. <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dvdsreleasedates.com%2Fposters%2F800%2FG%2FGosford-Park-2002-movie-poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=0db13b7b4cbf2940a632c9b355e5e644c7bb23dbe53c6260f42cd2949022f102&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 483px" /></blockquote>

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