This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Pull!
Plot Overview
1930's Hollywood producer and vegetarian
Morris Weissman—“He eats fish but not meat”—(Bob Balaban)
wants to make a murder whodunnit set on an English country estate
during a weekend shooting party. Actor Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam)
has fenagled an invitation for him to the real deal hosted by
Sir William McCordle (Sir Michael Gambon) and his wife Lady
Sylvia (Dame Kristen Scott Thomas.) With Sir William's
permission—and sole knowledge—he's bringing actor Henry
Denton (Ryan Phillippe) to impersonate a Scottish valet while effecting
research on British customs. The Brits aren't fooled by his fake accent
(“There's
something funny about that America bloke,”) but
out of politeness they let it ride.
Henry displayed his lack of manners
as per the etiquette advice: “Never ask a question under any
circumstances. In the first place it is too proud; in the second place,
it may be very inconvenient or very awkward to give a reply.
A lady lately inquired of what branch of medical practice a certain
gentleman was professor. He held the chair of midwifery!”
Henry at table, “just wondered, how many people here had parents
in the service? And was that why they chose to go into it?”
A poll reveals from a taciturn Mr Stockbridge the irrelevance
of the question as, “I grew up in an orphanage.” He later reveals,
“I didn't feel like
discussing my family life in a room full of strangers.”
The host found the murder aspect of the research a bit too realistic for him. But as far as research goes, there was plenty of means, motive and opportunity. For means there were at least a dozen shotguns on premises and one pistol. A man's choice of weapon. The cutlery drawer held rows of sharp knives and one missing. For when it's personal. And as Inspector Thompson (Stephen Fry) would point out, “This house is a poisoner's paradise. We found the stuff in practically every room.”
For motive, Sir William was a long time businessman turned aristocrat. There were a lot of people there relying on him in one way or another. Were none of them ever slighted, in reality or threat? As author Douglas Galbraith has put it:
“Do you
think much about loyalty, Mr Mackenzie?”
Silently, I returned his stare.
“It has been troubling me. It's sort of a promise, is it not?
Sometimes spoken, sometimes understood. Should men make
promises? Some say not. They say that only a god can make a promise
and know they will keep it. Men are too weak and too blind. They are
faithless by nature. They either intend not to keep it, or if they
do intend to keep it, they are thereby delivered into the hands of
those less faithful than themselves. No man ever lived who was
not prepared to break a promise without a second thought. All that
is needed is a good enough reason. Promises are a commodity—they
are bought and sold, they have their price. One is always released by a
higher bidder. Shocking? I suppose it is, especially for those who cannot
conceive of the circumstances in which they, too, would happily betray. Do
you not think that must be the case, Mr Mackenzie? Not to know the
length of one's tether, just when and how it would snap—in such a
blessed state one could think oneself an honest fellow.” (429)
As for opportunity Ivor's singing entertainment (“He just goes on and on”) provided that when people were too entranced by it to notice when various members of their company, here and there, slipped away to do whatever they did.
Ideology
Here have arisen conflicts
à la, (Proverbs 30:33) “Surely
the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the
nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth
strife.” The idea in the
proverb is that a state of peace and conciliation can change
to one of war just as a liquid (milk) can change to solid (butter)
through constant agitation (churning.) Or hit a critical area (nose)
and it bleeds. We see head housekeeper (“I'm the perfect servant; I have no
life”) Mrs Wilson (Dame Helen Mirren) rotating the
sheets as, “same
twenty sheets would have been used until they fell into
rags.” To fall into something is to have it happen suddenly.
Washing those same sheets over time would eventually change their
nature into tattered castoffs. Sir William in his younger
days had several factories and he abused his position with the factory
girls big time. The ones he got into trouble he made give up their
love child to an orphanage under pain of losing their job. “He was a hard-headed, randy
old sod.” Might it be he offended the me-too sisterhood
who eventually delivered him his just desserts?
While shooting pheasants a stray pellet grazed Sir William's ear. He used his handkerchief to stem the bleeding. There are lots of capillaries on the face to seep blood. Sir William had enough financial clout that it was in his power to ruin some people there, enough incentive to do him in.
Production Values
“” (2001) was directed by Robert Altman. It was written by Julian Fellowes based on an idea by Robert Altman and Bob Balaban. It stars Maggie Smith, Ryan Phillippe and Michael Gambon. British actors are uniformly well trained and those here prove no different but are rather the creme of the crop. Altman was up for an honorary Oscar.
MPA rated it R for some language and brief sexuality. To me that seemed rather harsh considering what little there was in an otherwise clean movie. The camera was always in motion (albeit slightly) per request by producer & director Robert Altman. It was filmed on location in Syon House, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK. Runtime is 2¼ hours.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
The help could suss out the culprit(s) naturally but are by occupation discrete so would keep it to themselves. The police were incompetent, at least the one in authority was. Perhaps the guy just got what he deserved. At any rate the Hollywood producer received a good education. Grace was said at meals but there wasn't a whole lot else of religion shown by this private people. Their humor was dry.
Movie Ratings
Action Factor: Weak action scenes. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Average special effects. Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day. Suspense: Predictable. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture is taken from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Galbraith, Douglas. The Rising Sun. Copyright © 2001 by Douglas Galbraith. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001. First American edition. Print.
PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE LAWS OF ETIQUETTE, May, 2004 [EBook #5681]
bibles.n7nz.org