Gosford Park -

Robert Altman’s 2001 film is a masterfully layered ensemble piece that blends an Agatha Christie-style whodunit with a sharp, satirical dissection of the British class system in the 1930s. Written by Julian Fellowes (the future creator of Downton Abbey ), the film is less about solving a crime and more about exploring the complex, often cruel hierarchies between the "upstairs" aristocrats and the "downstairs" servants who sustain them. Narrative and Direction

Though billed as a mystery, the murder doesn't occur until well past the midway point. For Altman, the investigation is almost a distraction or sub-plot , used as a vehicle to expose the characters' secrets rather than as the film's primary goal. Gosford Park

Delivers a poignant, flawless performance as the head housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, capturing the "grief forced back into the scullery". Robert Altman’s 2001 film is a masterfully layered

Notable turns include Emily Watson as a rebellious head housemaid, Clive Owen as a mysterious valet, and Stephen Fry as a bumbling, pipe-smoking police inspector. For Altman, the investigation is almost a distraction