Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 136 Ratings

  • Starring: Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe
  • Summary: This ensemble murder mystery satire, set in 1930's England, revolves around an elegant hunting party weekend at a country estate, featuring an aristocratic family and their friends.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 34
  2. Negative: 1 out of 34
  1. 100
    At a time when too many movies focus every scene on a $20 million star, an Altman film is like a party with no boring guests.
  2. 80
    We have an authentic Old Master working in our midst, and Gosford Park will at the very least remind everyone how masterful a helmsman Altman can be.
  3. 50
    Such a glorious cast, deployed to such trivial effect!
  4. Reviewed by: Richard Schickel
    30
    Tedium overwhelms caring well before this endless film finally concludes.

See all 34 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 83
  2. Negative: 31 out of 83
  1. 10
    One of the smartest films I have seen in a while. I found myself captivated by the drama surrounding these characters and by the numerous plot twists. The brilliant cast also contributes to making this the excellent film that it is. Expand
  2. GregA.
    8
    What grabbed about this film was the fly on the wall approach in a 1930's setting. I was transported back in time and was able to suspend all disbelief. This was wonderful. I particular liked the drawing room scene in which everyone was talking at the same time - so real! After about 45 minutes of letting myself mentally wonder about in the 1930's, I realised there was a plot line. To be frank, this wasn't that hot and if people watched it for the mystery it wouldn't score that highly. Expand
  3. Billed as an elaborate murder-mystery, Gosford Park is not so much that (the murder doesn't occur until well over halfway through the film) but rather a dense societal study, as would be expected of Altman. In this endeavor he succeeds, creating a web of characters in which every passing interaction solidifies the whole ensemble. However, it fails to strike any dramatical nerve, and the unveiling of the mystery is delivered as more of a necessary exposition rather than a turning point. Expand
  4. JustinM.
    2
    This film is a period drama billed as a murder mystery. The murder event is almost incidental to the rest of the film. The plot is, as stated by others, difficult to follow thanks to Altman's wandering camera and microphone and the characters' thick accents. There were memorable performances, by Maggie Smith in particular, but this film has very limited appeal for the average moviegoer. Expand

See all 83 User Reviews

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