Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Witty Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Delightfully Lightweight.
Perhaps the feeling of end times pervading: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the comedic send-up is making a comeback. This summer observed the re-emergence of this playful category, which, in its finest form, lampoons the pretensions of pompously earnest dramas with a torrent of exaggerated stereotypes, physical comedy, and ridiculously smart wordplay.
Playful periods, so it goes, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, pleasantly insubstantial fun.
The Latest Entry in This Goofy Resurgence
The newest of these silly send-ups is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that jabs at the highly satirizable pretensions of wealthy UK historical series. Penned in part by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film finds ample of material to mine and wastes none of it.
From a absurd opening to a outrageous finale, this amusing upper-class adventure packs every one of its runtime with jokes and bits that vary from the childish up to the truly humorous.
A Mimicry of Aristocrats and Servants
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall offers a pastiche of overly dignified the nobility and overly fawning help. The narrative focuses on the incompetent Lord Davenport (played by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in separate tragic accidents, their hopes fall upon finding matches for their offspring.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the appropriate first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet once she backs out, the burden transfers to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a "dried-up husk at 23 and and possesses dangerously modern notions about a woman's own mind.
Where the Comedy Works Best
The parody fares much better when joking about the suffocating social constraints imposed on early 20th-century women – an area typically treated for po-faced melodrama. The archetype of proper, coveted ladylike behavior supplies the richest punching bags.
The plot, as is fitting for an intentionally ridiculous spoof, is secondary to the jokes. The writer serves them up maintaining an amiably humorous clip. The film features a homicide, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair involving the charming street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
Limitations and Lighthearted Fun
The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach imposes restrictions. The dialed-up silliness characteristic of the genre might grate after a while, and the entertainment value on this particular variety diminishes in the space between sketch and a full-length film.
After a while, one may desire to return to the world of (at least a modicum of) coherence. Yet, it's necessary to admire a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to amuse ourselves unto oblivion, let's at least see the funny side.
