Fackham Hall Review – A Fast-Paced, Witty Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Pleasantly Throwaway.

Maybe the notion of an ending era around us: after years of dormancy, the comedic send-up is making a return. This summer witnessed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, at its best, lampoons the pretensions of overly serious genre with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, sight gags, and ridiculously smart wordplay.

Frivolous times, it seems, beget knowingly unserious, gag-packed, pleasantly insubstantial amusement.

A Recent Offering in This Silly Resurgence

The latest of these absurd spoofs arrives as Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that needles the easily mockable pretensions of opulent British period dramas. The screenplay comes from UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie finds ample of material to work with and wastes none of it.

Opening on a ridiculous beginning all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable silver-spoon romp fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines ranging from the childish all the way to the genuinely funny.

A Mimicry of The Gentry and Staff

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a spoof of overly dignified rich people and excessively servile staff. The plot focuses on the hapless Lord Davenport (portrayed by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in various tragic accidents, their aspirations now rest on marrying off their two girls.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the dynastic aim of an engagement to the suitable first cousin, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). However once she withdraws, the burden falls upon the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a "dried-up husk of a woman" and and possesses unladylike ideas concerning a woman's own mind.

Its Comedy Works Best

The parody is significantly more successful when satirizing the oppressive norms imposed on pre-war women – a topic frequently explored for self-serious drama. The stereotype of idealized femininity provides the best punching bags.

The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous spoof, takes a back seat to the gags. The co-writer serves them up arriving at an amiably humorous pace. Included is a homicide, an incompetent investigation, and a forbidden romance involving the plucky thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Frivolous Amusement

Everything is in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach imposes restrictions. The amplified foolishness characteristic of the genre may tire over time, and the mileage on this particular variety runs out somewhere between a skit and feature.

Eventually, one may desire to return to a realm of (very slight) logic. Nevertheless, it's necessary to applaud a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves to death, it's preferable to see the funny side.