Gosford Park -

The film brilliantly contrasts the idle monsters upstairs with the people who "keep the gears turning" in silence. The servants are even known by their masters' names, illustrating the total erasure of their individual identities within the system. Performances and Production

Notable turns include Emily Watson as a rebellious head housemaid, Clive Owen as a mysterious valet, and Stephen Fry as a bumbling, pipe-smoking police inspector. Gosford Park

The film features an astonishing cast that represents a "Who's Who" of British acting talent: The film brilliantly contrasts the idle monsters upstairs

Set during a weekend shooting party at a grand country estate, the story focuses on the tensions simmering beneath a veneer of polite manners. Altman utilizes his signature style—interweaving dozens of overlapping storylines and using a roving camera to capture snippets of conversation—to create a lived-in, highly authentic atmosphere. The film features an astonishing cast that represents

“I don't think I've ever seen the British class system of the 1930s so artfully dissected. It's all the more remarkable when you consider that Altman is a 76-year-old American.” Rotten Tomatoes

Delivers a poignant, flawless performance as the head housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, capturing the "grief forced back into the scullery".

Though billed as a mystery, the murder doesn't occur until well past the midway point. For Altman, the investigation is almost a distraction or sub-plot , used as a vehicle to expose the characters' secrets rather than as the film's primary goal.