This movie will grow on you if you survive the onslaught of character introductions. The movie's setting includes a Depression-era (November 1932 to be exact) English estate and the old-money blue-bloods that attend a hunting party there. You have to keep track of all these elitists, but it doesn't end there (not by a long shot!). You also have to keep track of their personal handmaidens and valets that have traveled with them. Is that it? NO!! The many servants at the estate play integral roles. In fact, all characters in a service capacity have the most impact because the story feeds on the "behind-the-scenes" and the resultant gossip.
As a rough estimate for illustrative purposes only, 20-30 characters are intricately weaved into a rich tapestry of a tangled web. You will not have the opportunity to digest each character individually. Because of the central premise of the hunting party, everyone descends on the country estate very early in the movie. You'll have to sort things out on your own (how refreshing, movies usually dole the story like entitlements) by the seat of your pants as the movie progresses.
Although a clever movie, persons of compromised concentration will loathe this film because of missed nuances and innuendos. When the plot twists are finally revealed, the full appreciation of creative work will be lost on these simple, wretched souls. |
