Fackham Hall Review – A Brisk, Humorous Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Refreshingly Ephemeral.

It could be the feeling of uncertain days pervading: following a long period of dormancy, the parody is making a return. The recent season observed the revival of this playful category, which, in its finest form, skewers the grandiosity of pompously earnest genre with a flood of pitched clichés, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.

Frivolous periods, apparently, create an appetite for self-awarely frivolous, laugh-filled, welcome light amusement.

The Latest Entry in This Goofy Resurgence

The newest of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that needles the easily mockable airs of wealthy UK historical series. The screenplay comes from UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has plenty of source material to mine and exploits every bit of it.

From a ludicrous start and culminating in a ludicrous finish, this enjoyable silver-spoon romp crams all of its runtime with gags and sketches running the gamut from the childish to the genuinely funny.

A Mimicry of The Gentry and Staff

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a spoof of very self-important rich people and very obsequious staff. The plot centers on the feckless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their children in a series of calamitous events, their plans now rest on securing unions for their two girls.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of betrothal to the suitable close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But when she backs out, the pressure shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a spinster of a woman" and and holds unladylike notions about women's independence.

Its Laughs Works Best

The film achieves greater effect when satirizing the suffocating norms placed on Edwardian-era ladies – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The archetype of proper, coveted womanhood provides the most fertile comic targets.

The narrative thread, as is fitting for a purposefully absurd send-up, is secondary to the jokes. Carr keeps them maintaining an amiably humorous clip. The film features a murder, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair between the plucky street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Lighthearted Fun

Everything is in lighthearted fun, but that very quality imposes restrictions. The heightened silliness of a spoof might grate after a while, and the entertainment value on this particular variety expires at the intersection of a skit and feature.

Eventually, audiences could long to return to stories with (very slight) coherence. Nevertheless, you have to respect a sincere commitment to the craft. If we're going to distract ourselves unto oblivion, it's preferable to see the funny side.