Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Witty Takeoff on Downton That's Delightfully Lightweight.
Perhaps the sense of end times in the air: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is making a return. This summer witnessed the re-emergence of this playful category, which, when done well, skewers the pretensions of overly serious genre with a flood of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns.
Unserious eras, apparently, beget knowingly unserious, joke-dense, refreshingly shallow amusement.
The Newest Entry in This Goofy Trend
The latest of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that pokes fun at the easily mockable airs of wealthy British period dramas. The screenplay comes from British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film finds ample of source material to draw from and uses all of it.
Starting with a ludicrous start and culminating in a outrageous finale, this enjoyable upper-class adventure fills every one of its 97 minutes with jokes and bits running the gamut from the juvenile to the authentically hilarious.
A Mimicry of Upstairs, Downstairs
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a caricature of extremely pompous the nobility and very obsequious staff. The plot focuses on the hapless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their four sons in various unfortunate mishaps, their plans now rest on securing unions for their daughters.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the aristocratic objective of a promise to marry the right first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet after she backs out, the onus shifts to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a "dried-up husk already and and possesses radically progressive beliefs concerning women's independence.
Where the Humor Lands Most Effectively
The film achieves greater effect when joking about the suffocating norms imposed on early 20th-century females – an area frequently explored for self-serious drama. The archetype of idealized womanhood offers the richest comic targets.
The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous parody, is secondary to the gags. The writer delivers them coming at a consistently comedic clip. There is a killing, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair featuring the roguish thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Pure Silliness
The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, but that very quality comes with constraints. The heightened foolishness inherent to parody can wear quickly, and the mileage on this particular variety expires in the space between a skit and a full-length film.
After a while, you might wish to go back to a realm of (very slight) logic. Nevertheless, it's necessary to admire a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves unto oblivion, we might as well find the humor in it.
