There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Usually i like most movies in one degree or another,, but this,, well yikes! I felt like yelling SOMETHING HAPPEN!!! This movie is like watching a stage play but it was filmed. There is a paradigm in movie making for a reason - thirty minutes in, there is a plot twist for a reason. This just doesn't get off the ground. "Oh, were is my jewellry" is the most exciting thing in the first half. Although I will admit it is well acted and beautifully photographed, the story just drags and drags and drags. I kept wondering if I was watching a movie or a made for TV drama adapted from the play for public television or something. Definitely won't watch it again.

*Upstairs* daughters of the Earl of Carton and their husbands: Sylvia & William McCordle Louisa & Raymond Stockbridge Lavinia & Anthony MeredithIsobel McCordle Mabel & Freddie NesbittIvor Novello (William McCordle's second cousin) Morris Weissman Henry Denton (disguised as Morris Weissman's valet)Constance TrenthamRupert Standish Jeremy Blond*Downstairs* Robert Parks (Raymond Stockbridge's valet, Ivor Novello's casual valet) Sarah (Lavinia Meredith's maid) Barnes (Anthony Meredith's valet) Mary Maceachran (Constance Trentham's maid)Jennings (butler) Probert (William McCordle's valet) George (first footman, Rupert Standish's casual valet) Arthur (footman, Jeremy Blond and Morris Weissman's casual valet) Strutt (keeper)Mrs. Wilson (housekeeper) Mrs. Croft (cook) Lewis (Sylvia McCordle's maid) Elsie (head housemaid, Mabel Nesbitt's casual maid) Dorothy (still room maid) Bertha (kitchen maid)

Robert Altman's "Gosford Park" is among the highlights of his career. While it isn't close to being my personal favorite of his films, it's still an easy choice for one of the best films of the 21st century. With a great ensemble cast, plenty of overlapping dialogue, and an almost indescribable and documentary like filmmaking style, "Gosford Park" is has Altman's signature style written all over it!It's interesting to note that the actual murder mystery plot doesn't began until over halfway into the film. Before the murder, we've just been spending time with all of the characters. Although the mystery was my favorite part of the film, it isn't the centerpiece that it normally would be. The characters are the centerpiece, and the murder is just something that happens to them.

Gosford Park (2001): Dir: Robert Altman / Cast: Helen Mirren, Emily Watson, Kelly MacDonald, Maggie Smith, Stephen Fry: Gosford Park is seen as a playground for the rich. It is a murder mystery although the focus is on class. Plot centers upon a hunting party that arrives at the estate. They are observed through the eyes of their ever present servants. There is a murder and director Robert Altman makes everyone a suspect because everyone has a motive. This is remarkable craft by Altman who not only masters mystery elements but also an ensemble of characters that often appear together within the same frame. Altman's previous works include such classics as Nashville and M.A.S.H. Helen Mirren plays the strict head servant who keeps everything in order. Emily Watson is also a servant who gets caught up in an affair. Kelly MacDonald is the one servant who guides viewers through these events. She is portrayed as an innocent who tells of nothing outside of fact. Maggie Smith plays an elderly guest who belts out the funniest lines. Stephen Fry brings great comic relief as an inspector in that Sherlock Holmes tradition. Everyone delivers flawless performances as they interact within each scene and plotted social event. The story is set in 1932 and backed with exquisite art direction and a theme of wealth, class and placement render it one of Altman's greatest achievements. Score: 10 / 10