Fackham Hall Review – This Brisk, Funny Takeoff on Downton Which Is Pleasantly Throwaway.
Maybe the notion of end times pervading: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the comedic send-up is staging a resurgence. This summer observed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, at its best, skewers the grandiosity of overly serious genres with a torrent of exaggerated stereotypes, physical comedy, and ridiculously smart wordplay.
Unserious periods, apparently, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, welcome light fun.
The Newest Addition in This Silly Resurgence
The most recent of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that jabs at the easily mockable pretensions of gilded UK historical series. Co-written by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has a wealth of source material to work with and exploits every bit of it.
From a absurd opening to a ludicrous finish, this enjoyable upper-class adventure fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines ranging from the childish to the authentically hilarious.
A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs
Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of overly dignified aristocrats and overly fawning staff. The plot focuses on the hapless Lord Davenport (brought to life by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their male heirs in various tragic accidents, their aspirations are pinned on securing unions for their offspring.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the aristocratic objective of a promise to marry the suitable kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). But once she pulls out, the onus transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid at 23 and who harbors unladylike beliefs concerning female autonomy.
The Film's Humor Lands Most Effectively
The parody is significantly more successful when satirizing the stifling expectations forced upon pre-war women – a subject often mined for po-faced melodrama. The archetype of idealized ladylike behavior offers the richest comic targets.
The storyline, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous send-up, takes a back seat to the gags. Carr delivers them arriving at an amiably humorous pace. Included is a killing, a farcical probe, and a star-crossed attraction between the roguish street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Frivolous Amusement
The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, but that very quality comes with constraints. The dialed-up foolishness of a spoof may tire quickly, and the comic fuel on this particular variety diminishes in the space between a skit and feature.
At a certain point, audiences could long to return to stories with (very slight) logic. But, you have to respect a wholehearted devotion to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves relentlessly, let's at least find the humor in it.
