Fackham Hall Review ā A Rapid-Fire, Witty Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Pleasantly Throwaway.
It could be the notion of end times pervading: after years of inactivity, the spoof is staging a return. The recent season saw the rebirth of this playful category, which, in its finest form, lampoons the self-importance of pompously earnest dramas with a torrent of exaggerated stereotypes, physical comedy, and ridiculously smart wordplay.
Frivolous periods, so it goes, create an appetite for deliberately shallow, joke-dense, pleasantly insubstantial amusement.
The Latest Addition in This Goofy Trend
The latest of these goofy parodies arrives as Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the very pokeable self-importance of wealthy UK historical series. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has plenty of inspiration to draw from and exploits every bit of it.
Opening on a ridiculous beginning to a preposterous conclusion, this entertaining silver-spoon romp crams all of its 97 minutes with gags and sketches that vary from the childish to the truly humorous.
A Pastiche of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a pastiche of extremely pompous aristocrats and excessively servile servants. The narrative centers on the feckless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their male heirs in various calamitous events, their plans are pinned on marrying off their two girls.
One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the family goal of a promise to marry the appropriate close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet once she pulls out, the burden transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is an old maid at 23 and who harbors radically progressive notions concerning a woman's own mind.
The Film's Comedy Lands Most Effectively
The film is significantly more successful when satirizing the suffocating norms placed on early 20th-century females ā an area typically treated for self-serious drama. The archetype of idealized womanhood supplies the best material for mockery.
The plot, as is fitting for a deliberately silly spoof, takes a back seat to the gags. The writer keeps them arriving at a pleasantly funny rate. The film features a killing, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair involving the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
Limitations and Frivolous Amusement
It's all in lighthearted fun, however, this approach has limitations. The dialed-up absurdity of a spoof might grate over time, and the mileage in this instance runs out somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
At a certain point, you might wish to retreat to a realm of (at least a modicum of) reason. But, you have to applaud a genuine dedication to the craft. In an age where we might to amuse ourselves to death, it's preferable to find the humor in it.
