Fackham Hall Review – A Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Delightfully Throwaway.
It could be the notion of end times in the air: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is enjoying a resurgence. This summer observed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, at its best, mocks the pretensions of pompously earnest genre with a torrent of pitched clichés, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious times, so it goes, beget deliberately shallow, joke-dense, refreshingly shallow amusement.
A Recent Offering in This Absurd Wave
The newest of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that pokes fun at the highly satirizable pretensions of wealthy UK historical series. Co-written by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has plenty of source material to draw from and wastes none of it.
Starting with a absurd opening all the way to its outrageous finale, this entertaining silver-spoon romp packs each of its 97 minutes with gags and sketches running the gamut from the puerile to the genuinely funny.
A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a caricature of overly dignified the nobility and excessively servile staff. The plot focuses on the feckless Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their four sons in a series of unfortunate mishaps, their hopes are pinned on marrying off their offspring.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the family goal of an engagement to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). But once she pulls out, the onus transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk at 23 and who harbors radically progressive beliefs concerning female autonomy.
The Film's Humor Works Best
The parody achieves greater effect when sending up the suffocating social constraints forced upon early 20th-century females – an area frequently explored for self-serious drama. The archetype of proper, coveted femininity supplies the most fertile punching bags.
The storyline, as one would expect from a deliberately silly spoof, is of lesser importance to the jokes. The co-writer keeps them arriving at an amiably humorous rate. Included is a killing, an incompetent investigation, and a star-crossed attraction involving the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
Limitations and Lighthearted Fun
It's all in lighthearted fun, however, this approach comes with constraints. The heightened foolishness of a spoof may tire over time, and the entertainment value in this instance expires in the space between a skit and a full-length film.
Eventually, audiences could long to go back to a realm of (very slight) coherence. But, one must applaud a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. Given that we are to entertain ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to find the humor in it.
