Gosford Park: Your views

A Who's Who of British acting talent

American director Robert Altman directs an impressive ensemble of British actors in his latest film, Gosford Park.

The cast of this comedy of manners and murder mystery includes Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Alan Bates, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Northam and Emily Watson, Eileen Atkins, to name but a few.

"In the end, it is the cast that counts, and it would be invidious to single out any for special praise.

"Suffice to say that Bates' imperious butler, Atkins' embittered cook and Scott Thomas' bored trophy wife are by no means the only delight to savour," wrote the BBC's Neil Smith.

But what do you think?

Are there too many plot strands? Do the cast live up to their reputations?

It really is nice to see all the acting talent keep up an other wise marginal script. "Gosford Park" was enjoyable as long as the plot was followed lightly.
Erik, USA

A thinking person's whodunit and a rare example of how a director can turn a menagerie of actors into a seamless ensemble. I hope also that Northam's performance will revive interest in the life and career of the now virtually forgotten Ivor Novello.
Robert del Valle, USA

It is a fabulous film in the best English tradition, I'd compare it with the best of Merchant-Ivory but with a little more sparkle. I was lucky enough to get tickets to the world premiére in November and you know that all those stars wouldn't have become involved unless the director was of exceptional quality. Emily Watson gives a particularly excellent performance.
Mark, England

Saw the film last night, and thought it was thoroughly enjoyable, if not going to set the world alight. Maggie Smith and Kelly MacDonald in particular gave outstanding performances, their double-act could easily be turned into a story by itself. I guessed the denouement fairly early on, as the plot is so thin as to be almost transparent but you need to concentrate on who's who in the cast of characters at the beginning to fully enjoy their interplay. Not Altman's finest hour as a director (in fact, there was no sense of the film having been directed at all, it just seemed to happen), but a good night out with some genuinely hysterical one-liners.
Kathy, UK