Altman is at his best in this suberb mix of comedy, drama and mystery.Maggie Smith steals the film, but not effortlessly. There are terriffic performances from Helen Mirren, and Eileen Atkins in particular, but the cast all give fine performances

A great film, one of the few which can be seen many times, in which an Agatha Christie-like thriller mixes with personal drama, both above and below stairs, in a well-observed and authentically reproduced period setting.The only false note -- but a jarring one -- is in the miscasting of Steven Fry, that bonne à tout faire (do accept this expression, it's French, but international, you see, and appropriate for other reasons) of the entertainment industry, as Inspector Thompson. Fry seems to think he's in a kind of music hall gag, where he plays a caricature of a bumbling police inspector, half Clouseau and half English class distinction (milk into teacup after, not before, tea), and keeps reminding everyone of his name, as a tired joke. Watching performers such as Maggie Smith, or the excellent Eileen Atkins, as well as many other distinguished members of the cast, is always rewarding, but Fry's appearances are best glossed over as quickly as possible, as they reduce the film's quality. How Altman could have made this mistake is hard to understand.

not surprising from Robert Altman. and from the great cast. but far to be predictable for the wise science of portrait of different characters, for the atmosphere who represents almost a puzzle of subtle details, for the links between different interests, for the touching story, for the exploration of the flavor and roots and masks of a century. so many, refined stories impose the impression of the absence of one. because not the key incident is the most important but the small scenes who transforms the film in convincing chronicle of period. the dialogues, the dark emotions, the desires, secrets, the impact between the two classes, the competition who grow up scene by scene are steps of an impressive show about expectations and answers to challenges. it is fascinating to discover a living society in its struggles for survive, ignoring reality. an admirable work.the great mark of a fantastic director.

A perfect "boutique" movie in every way- casting, acting, set, script,direction, everything. The music is the icing on the cake. And, like a cake, there are layers to it. Every time I watch it, I get something more from it. A brilliant idea executed brilliantly. All the actors "are" those characters to the tee. Dame Maggie, ever the quintessential snob; Dame Helen, "mysterious" to the end. Oh that there were more movies like this, that transport one so completely to another time and place. Watch it on in a rainy afternoon when you want nothing more than that. Julian Fellowes cut his script- writing teeth on this one, and it's clear to see why "Downtown" Abbey" was bound to be a success. ( only one detraction- the dialogue is a little too quick to catch at times on my VHS version)