Gosford Park

A weekend on the countryside for the English upper class turns sour when their host ends up dead. Of course, the death of the host actually happens more than halfway into the film, so it is VERY SLOW GOING until then. And then, assuming the audience has been paying attention, to them it is reveled the who and the why. Although it remains a mystery to all but 3 of the large number of characters. The film really criticizes the upper class. The only likeable characters in the entire film are the servants. I watched it because I had read somewhere that the music was quite good. And yes, a very good song is featured: "The Land of Might-Have-Been". But other than that (and perhaps the funny "And Her Mother Came Too"), the music, while beautiful, is entirely relegated to the background, and doesn't play a significant part in the movie. The mystery plot is the point of the movie, but it takes a long while to get there.

This is one of those movies with great ingredients (great director, great cast, great setting) but the movie just never takes off. If it weren't for the famous faces, you couldn't possibly remember who's who.