TOP 25 CAMP FILMS OF ALL TIME - 24

GOSFORD PARK

Gosford Park centres on a 1920's murder mystery at an English country manor. It has a large ensemble cast that has the creme de la creme of most of British acting talent.

The interesting thing about this movie is that every single scene has one of the servants present and a lot it is seen from the servant's point of view. Basically 3 sisters and their Aunt all meet up with their spouses and a few extras at Lady Sylvia and Sir William McCordle's mansion. It is revealed that Sir William is a cantankerous old man who rubs everyone up the wrong way, after dinner one night, Sir William is discovered dead in his library, stabbed and also poisoned - he's been killed twice. This is all incidental as the class differences between the servants and the upper class are more defined and concentrated on.

Hidden and secret conversations are revealed with relations strained, the servants hear everything but say nothing. Now there is nothing as camp as a good old game of Cluedo and this is the ultimate game. There are some great set pieces:- a shooting party, 2 dinners, a murder, breakfast and drunk servants.

The very British cast camp it up in fabulous clothes and smart one liners from Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas. Maggie is Lady Trentham, she's breaking in a new maid because they're so cheap but loves all the gossip from the servant's quarters and is a withering snob. She turns her nose up at the talents of Ivor Novello and picks on poor Mabel who has arrived without a maid and with only one dress.

LADY TRENTHAM about Ivor's piano playing - Awfully long repertoire

LADY TRENTHAM about Ivor's piano playing again - Please, don't encourage him

LADY TRENTHAM about Mabel's clothes - Mabel is so clever to pack light. Why should one wear a different frock each evening, we're not in a fashion parade.
MABEL - Yes and I wouldn't want to.
LADY TRENTHAM - Difficult colour, green.

LADY TRENTHAM - Tell me, how much longer are you going to go on making films?
IVOR NOVELLO - I suppose that rather depends on how much longer the public want to see me in them.
LADY TRENTHAM - It must be hard to know when it's time to throw in the towel... What a pity about that last one of yours... what was it called? "The Dodger"
IVOR NOVELLO - The Lodger.
LADY TRENTHAM - The Lodger. It must be so disappointing when something just flops like that.

Some great group scenes sparkle as each of the actors try and outdo each other. Chief scene stealer is definitely Kristin Scott Thomas. She is the bitchy Lady Sylvia who upon her husband's death decides to have sex with a servant - god forbid she'd have a night alone. When the police arrive, she rushes them around the family and promptly says that they're all off to bed and leave him with Poor William lying dead in the library. Everything seems to be an effort for Lady Sylvia except looking fabulous. Everyone leaves amidst the investigation and Sylvia misses their goodbyes as she's out riding her horse.

The end result of who killed Sir William isn't important although there are plenty of suspects. A very cheeky twist right at the end had me open mouthed but the acting from Helen Mirren and Eileen Atkins is superb and everything pieces together. A terribly British film is terribly camp. Richard E Grant is nothing short of outrageous as the valet who steals. I can't decide if he's camp or just snootier than Kristin Scott Thomas! A must watch for anybody who likes a good society comedy with some quick witted lines and scenes - and the abundance of dead fox thrown round the cast's neck is just obscene. I'm desperate for a coat like that!