Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey That's Delightfully Lightweight.
Maybe the sense of an ending era around us: following a long period of dormancy, the parody is enjoying a resurgence. This summer observed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, when done well, mocks the self-importance of pompously earnest genres with a torrent of exaggerated stereotypes, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Playful periods, so it goes, create an appetite for knowingly unserious, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow entertainment.
The Newest Entry in This Silly Trend
The most recent of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the highly satirizable self-importance of wealthy British period dramas. Penned in part by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of inspiration to work with and uses all of it.
Opening on a ludicrous start to a preposterous conclusion, this amusing silver-spoon romp fills every one of its hour and a half with jokes and bits ranging from the juvenile all the way to the genuinely funny.
A Pastiche of Upstairs, Downstairs
Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall presents a spoof of overly dignified aristocrats and very obsequious staff. The narrative revolves around the hapless Lord Davenport (played by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their four sons in separate tragic accidents, their hopes fall upon marrying off their daughters.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the aristocratic objective of a promise to marry the right kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). However after she backs out, the burden shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster already and and holds radically progressive beliefs regarding women's independence.
The Film's Comedy Works Best
The spoof fares much better when sending up the suffocating norms imposed on pre-war females – an area frequently explored for self-serious drama. The trope of proper, coveted ladylike behavior provides the richest comic targets.
The plot, as is fitting for a deliberately silly send-up, takes a back seat to the gags. The writer delivers them maintaining a consistently comedic clip. Included is a homicide, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair between the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Frivolous Amusement
The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, however, this approach has limitations. The amplified foolishness characteristic of the genre can wear over time, and the comic fuel in this instance expires in the space between a skit and a full-length film.
Eventually, you might wish to go back to the world of (at least a modicum of) logic. Yet, one must admire a wholehearted devotion to the artform. Given that we are to distract ourselves relentlessly, let's at least find the humor in it.
