Fackham Hall Review – A Brisk, Witty Downton Abbey Spoof That's Delightfully Ephemeral.
Maybe the feeling of uncertain days in the air: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is enjoying a resurgence. The recent season saw the revival of this unserious film style, which, when done well, lampoons the grandiosity of pompously earnest genres with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Playful periods, so it goes, create an appetite for knowingly unserious, joke-dense, pleasantly insubstantial amusement.
The Newest Offering in This Goofy Resurgence
The newest of these goofy parodies comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the very pokeable pretensions of opulent UK historical series. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of source material to mine and exploits every bit of it.
From a absurd opening all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable aristocratic caper fills each of its 97 minutes with gags and sketches running the gamut from the childish to the authentically hilarious.
A Pastiche of Upstairs, Downstairs
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a pastiche of overly dignified aristocrats and excessively servile staff. The story revolves around the incompetent Lord Davenport (portrayed by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in separate tragic accidents, their aspirations are pinned on finding matches for their daughters.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the aristocratic objective of a promise to marry the appropriate first cousin, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet after she withdraws, the onus shifts to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as an old maid of a woman" and and holds radically progressive notions regarding a woman's own mind.
The Film's Comedy Succeeds
The film achieves greater effect when sending up the stifling expectations imposed on pre-war ladies – an area typically treated for earnest storytelling. The trope of idealized womanhood supplies the best punching bags.
The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous parody, takes a back seat to the gags. The writer keeps them arriving at an amiably humorous clip. The film features a homicide, a farcical probe, and a star-crossed attraction involving the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Lighthearted Fun
The entire affair is for harmless amusement, though that itself imposes restrictions. The dialed-up foolishness of a spoof can wear quickly, and the mileage on this particular variety diminishes at the intersection of sketch and feature.
After a while, audiences could long to retreat to a realm of (very slight) coherence. But, one must respect a genuine dedication to the craft. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves unto oblivion, we might as well find the humor in it.
