Fackham Hall Review – This Fast-Paced, Witty Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Pleasantly Ephemeral.
It could be the feeling of end times around us: following a long period of inactivity, the comedic send-up is enjoying a resurgence. The recent season observed the revival of this playful category, which, at its best, lampoons the pretensions of excessively solemn genre with a torrent of pitched clichés, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Playful eras, so it goes, create an appetite for self-awarely frivolous, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow fun.
The Latest Entry in This Silly Wave
The most recent of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that jabs at the very pokeable airs of opulent UK historical series. Penned in part by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of source material to work with and exploits every bit of it.
Opening on a ludicrous start all the way to its outrageous finale, this enjoyable aristocratic caper crams each of its runtime with jokes and bits running the gamut from the puerile up to the genuinely funny.
A Pastiche of Upstairs, Downstairs
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a spoof of overly dignified rich people and overly fawning help. The story revolves around the hapless Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in various tragic accidents, their aspirations fall upon finding matches for their offspring.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of an engagement to the right first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). However after she withdraws, the pressure transfers to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid of a woman" and and holds unladylike ideas concerning women's independence.
Its Humor Succeeds
The film is significantly more successful when joking about the stifling expectations forced upon pre-war women – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The trope of respectable, enviable femininity offers the richest material for mockery.
The plot, as befitting a purposefully absurd send-up, is secondary to the gags. The co-writer serves them up maintaining a consistently comedic pace. There is a killing, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair featuring the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Frivolous Amusement
The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, however, this approach comes with constraints. The amplified foolishness of a spoof can wear over time, and the comic fuel in this instance runs out in the space between sketch and feature.
At a certain point, audiences could long to return to a realm of (very slight) reason. Nevertheless, you have to respect a sincere commitment to this type of comedy. Given that we are to amuse ourselves unto oblivion, we might as well see the funny side.
