A Robert Altman is the true definition of a great director. The guy has been around for years making memorable flicks like Mash and Popeye. When his career should have been winding down, he blazed on to the screen with the one-two punch of The Player and Short Cuts. In my opinion, these are Altman's best films. Now the king of the "ensemble-piece" returns with the mystery/comedy Gosford Park. This beautifully shot character study takes place in an English Mansion where a group of wealthy snobs and a group of poor servants find themselves being investigated for a murder.

Altman takes a good half of the picture establishing characters and situations. Very little time is invested in the actual murder and you would think with this many characters, the blame would shift from one suspect to the next. This really isn't the case, so those expecting a variation of Clue, best stick to the board game.

This is more about the characters themselves. Once again, Altman shows an incredible talent for juggling storylines and introducing us to a plethora of interesting characters. Sadly, many of the characters here are not as well drawn as I hoped they would be. That's a shame, especially given Gosford Park's lengthy running time. There are certainly standouts. I really liked Maggie Smith as a feisty countess and I enjoyed Bob Balaban (who also developed the story with Altman) as a quirky film maker.

The best performance is supplied by the dependable Helen Mirren as a lonely housekeeper. Also along for the ride are engaging turns by Michael Gambon, Emily Watson, Tom Hollander, Richard E. Grant, James Wilby, and Kelly McDonald. On the flip side of the coin, Ryan Phillippe (Way of the Gun) and Kirsten Scott Thomas (The English Patient) did absolutely nothing for me. Much of Gosford Park was inspired by Murder on the Orient Express. In the capable hands of Altman, the movie works well enough to keep your eyes from drifting down to your watch.

I think it would have been more effective had it been trimmed of a little excess. Still, Altman has fashioned a very entertaining piece of cinema. Even when this guy isn't at the top of his game, he's at the top of the game.