Fackham Hall Review – A Fast-Paced, Humorous Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Refreshingly Ephemeral.
It could be the feeling of an ending era pervading: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the parody is enjoying a comeback. The recent season observed the re-emergence of this unserious film style, which, when done well, mocks the pretensions of overly serious dramas with a barrage of pitched clichés, visual jokes, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Frivolous periods, it seems, create an appetite for knowingly unserious, gag-packed, welcome light amusement.
A Recent Addition in This Silly Wave
The newest of these absurd spoofs arrives as Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the very pokeable self-importance of opulent UK historical series. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has a wealth of inspiration to mine and uses all of it.
From a absurd opening and culminating in a outrageous finale, this entertaining silver-spoon romp packs each of its 97 minutes with puns and routines running the gamut from the juvenile all the way to the authentically hilarious.
A Pastiche of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a caricature of extremely pompous aristocrats and overly fawning help. The narrative revolves around the hapless Lord Davenport (portrayed by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their four sons in separate tragic accidents, their hopes fall upon securing unions for their daughters.
One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the dynastic aim of betrothal to the appropriate first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). But when she backs out, the onus falls upon the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk already and and holds radically progressive notions about a woman's own mind.
Its Comedy Works Best
The film is significantly more successful when satirizing the stifling expectations forced upon Edwardian-era ladies – an area typically treated for self-serious drama. The trope of idealized ladylike behavior offers the most fertile punching bags.
The storyline, as is fitting for a purposefully absurd parody, is secondary to the bits. The co-writer keeps them coming at a pleasantly funny clip. The film features a killing, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair involving the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Lighthearted Fun
It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach comes with constraints. The heightened foolishness characteristic of the genre can wear quickly, and the comic fuel for this specific type diminishes in the space between sketch and a full-length film.
At a certain point, you might wish to return to the world of (at least a modicum of) logic. Nevertheless, it's necessary to applaud a genuine dedication to the artform. If we're going to entertain ourselves relentlessly, we might as well see the funny side.
