A Look at Fackham Hall – This Rapid-Fire, Witty Parody of Downton Abbey That's Refreshingly Lightweight.
Maybe the notion of uncertain days in the air: after years of inactivity, the parody is making a return. This summer observed the revival of this lighthearted genre, which, when done well, lampoons the grandiosity of excessively solemn genres with a barrage of heightened tropes, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns.
Frivolous eras, so it goes, beget knowingly unserious, laugh-filled, pleasantly insubstantial fun.
The Latest Addition in This Goofy Wave
The latest of these goofy parodies comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the easily mockable self-importance of wealthy British period dramas. The screenplay comes from British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of source material to draw from and uses all of it.
Opening on a ludicrous start and culminating in a ludicrous finish, this amusing aristocratic caper fills all of its runtime with jokes and bits ranging from the juvenile to the authentically hilarious.
A Send-Up of The Gentry and Staff
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a caricature of overly dignified rich people and very obsequious staff. The narrative centers on the incompetent Lord Davenport (played by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their four sons in various calamitous events, their hopes are pinned on marrying off their daughters.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the aristocratic objective of an engagement to the right close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But when she pulls out, the onus shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid already and who harbors radically progressive beliefs regarding a woman's own mind.
Its Laughs Works Best
The film fares much better when sending up the suffocating expectations placed on Edwardian-era ladies – a topic frequently explored for earnest storytelling. The trope of respectable, enviable womanhood supplies the best material for mockery.
The storyline, as befitting a deliberately silly send-up, takes a back seat to the jokes. The writer keeps them maintaining an amiably humorous clip. The film features a murder, an incompetent investigation, and a star-crossed attraction involving the roguish pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Pure Silliness
It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach imposes restrictions. The heightened absurdity of a spoof may tire quickly, and the comic fuel in this instance runs out in the space between a skit and a full-length film.
At a certain point, you might wish to retreat to stories with (very slight) reason. But, it's necessary to applaud a sincere commitment to the craft. In an age where we might to distract ourselves relentlessly, we might as well find the humor in it.
