A Look at Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Humorous Takeoff on Downton Which Is Refreshingly Throwaway.
It could be the feeling of uncertain days in the air: following a long period of dormancy, the comedic send-up is enjoying a resurgence. The recent season observed the rebirth of this playful category, which, when done well, lampoons the self-importance of overly serious dramas with a flood of heightened tropes, sight gags, and stupid-clever puns.
Frivolous eras, it seems, give rise to deliberately shallow, laugh-filled, welcome light amusement.
The Newest Entry in This Silly Wave
The most recent of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that needles the easily mockable airs of wealthy UK historical series. The screenplay comes from UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has a wealth of material to draw from and uses all of it.
From a ludicrous start and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this amusing aristocratic caper crams each of its 97 minutes with jokes and bits ranging from the juvenile up to the authentically hilarious.
A Send-Up of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a pastiche of overly dignified rich people and overly fawning staff. The plot revolves around the feckless Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in separate calamitous events, their hopes fall upon securing unions for their daughters.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the appropriate close relative, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). But after she pulls out, the burden transfers to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a "dried-up husk at 23 and and holds unladylike notions about a woman's own mind.
Its Humor Lands Most Effectively
The film is significantly more successful when sending up the suffocating norms forced upon Edwardian-era females – a topic frequently explored for earnest storytelling. The stereotype of proper, coveted ladylike behavior offers the richest comic targets.
The storyline, as befitting a purposefully absurd parody, takes a back seat to the jokes. The co-writer keeps them maintaining an amiably humorous rate. The film features a murder, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair featuring the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Pure Silliness
It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, though that itself imposes restrictions. The amplified silliness characteristic of the genre might grate over time, and the entertainment value in this instance runs out somewhere between a skit and feature.
After a while, audiences could long to go back to a realm of (at least a modicum of) coherence. But, one must admire a wholehearted devotion to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves unto oblivion, it's preferable to see the funny side.
