A Look at Fackham Hall – This Fast-Paced, Humorous Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Pleasantly Throwaway.
Perhaps the notion of end times around us: subsequent to a lengthy span of quiet, the parody is enjoying a return. The recent season witnessed the re-emergence of this unserious film style, which, at its best, skewers the self-importance of pompously earnest genres with a torrent of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Frivolous eras, it seems, beget knowingly unserious, joke-dense, refreshingly shallow entertainment.
A Recent Offering in This Silly Wave
The newest of these silly send-ups is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that jabs at the very pokeable airs of opulent British period dramas. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has plenty of inspiration to work with and uses all of it.
Starting with a absurd opening all the way to its outrageous finale, this enjoyable aristocratic caper fills each of its runtime with puns and routines that vary from the childish all the way to the truly humorous.
A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall offers a caricature of extremely pompous aristocrats and overly fawning staff. The story centers on the hapless Lord Davenport (brought to life by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their male heirs in a series of tragic accidents, their plans now rest on securing unions for their daughters.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of a promise to marry the suitable close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet after she backs out, the burden transfers to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is an old maid of a woman" and who harbors dangerously modern notions regarding female autonomy.
Where the Comedy Lands Most Effectively
The parody fares much better when sending up the suffocating social constraints placed on Edwardian-era ladies – a subject often mined for self-serious drama. The trope of idealized femininity offers the best punching bags.
The narrative thread, as befitting a deliberately silly spoof, is secondary to the gags. The writer keeps them coming at a consistently comedic rate. Included is a murder, an incompetent investigation, and a star-crossed attraction featuring the plucky thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
Limitations and Lighthearted Fun
The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, however, this approach has limitations. The amplified absurdity of a spoof can wear over time, and the comic fuel for this specific type runs out somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
Eventually, you might wish to retreat to stories with (very slight) logic. Nevertheless, one must respect a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. Given that we are to entertain ourselves to death, we might as well find the humor in it.