Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Refreshingly Throwaway.
Maybe the notion of uncertain days pervading: following a long period of quiet, the parody is staging a comeback. This summer saw the rebirth of this playful category, which, when done well, mocks the self-importance of pompously earnest dramas with a torrent of pitched clichés, visual jokes, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Playful times, so it goes, create an appetite for knowingly unserious, gag-packed, pleasantly insubstantial fun.
A Recent Entry in This Silly Resurgence
The most recent of these absurd spoofs comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the highly satirizable airs of gilded UK historical series. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of inspiration to draw from and uses all of it.
Opening on a absurd opening all the way to its outrageous finale, this amusing aristocratic caper crams all of its 97 minutes with gags and sketches that vary from the juvenile to the authentically hilarious.
A Pastiche of The Gentry and Staff
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a spoof of extremely pompous aristocrats and very obsequious servants. The plot centers on the feckless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in separate tragic accidents, their hopes now rest on marrying off their two girls.
One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the family goal of an engagement to the right kinsman, Archibald (a wonderfully unctuous Tom Felton). But once she withdraws, the pressure transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk already and who harbors unladylike notions about female autonomy.
The Film's Laughs Works Best
The parody fares much better when joking about the oppressive norms imposed on early 20th-century women – an area frequently explored for earnest storytelling. The stereotype of proper, coveted womanhood provides the richest punching bags.
The plot, as befitting a deliberately silly spoof, is secondary to the gags. The writer delivers them coming at a pleasantly funny clip. There is a homicide, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair involving the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Lighthearted Fun
Everything is in lighthearted fun, but that very quality comes with constraints. The heightened foolishness inherent to parody may tire after a while, and the entertainment value on this particular variety runs out somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
Eventually, audiences could long to return to a realm of (very slight) logic. But, it's necessary to admire a genuine dedication to the craft. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves relentlessly, let's at least see the funny side.
