Fackham Hall – This Fast-Paced, Witty Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Pleasantly Throwaway.
Maybe the feeling of uncertain days pervading: following a long period of quiet, the comedic send-up is making a return. The recent season witnessed the re-emergence of this playful category, which, in its finest form, lampoons the grandiosity of excessively solemn genres with a torrent of exaggerated stereotypes, physical comedy, and ridiculously smart wordplay.
Unserious eras, so it goes, beget self-awarely frivolous, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow fun.
The Newest Addition in This Silly Wave
The most recent of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that jabs at the very pokeable pretensions of opulent UK historical series. The screenplay comes from UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of inspiration to mine and wastes none of it.
From a ludicrous start and culminating in a outrageous finale, this entertaining upper-class adventure fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines running the gamut from the juvenile up to the genuinely funny.
A Pastiche of The Gentry and Staff
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a pastiche of overly dignified aristocrats and very obsequious staff. The narrative centers on the incompetent Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their male heirs in separate tragic accidents, their hopes now rest on finding matches for their two girls.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of betrothal to the suitable kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet once she withdraws, the burden shifts to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as an old maid at 23 and who harbors dangerously modern beliefs about a woman's own mind.
The Film's Laughs Lands Most Effectively
The spoof achieves greater effect when sending up the oppressive norms imposed on Edwardian-era women – a topic typically treated for earnest storytelling. The archetype of proper, coveted womanhood supplies the best punching bags.
The plot, as is fitting for a purposefully absurd parody, is of lesser importance to the gags. The co-writer delivers them coming at an amiably humorous rate. There is a murder, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair featuring the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Lighthearted Fun
It's all in lighthearted fun, however, this approach has limitations. The heightened silliness of a spoof might grate after a while, and the entertainment value for this specific type diminishes at the intersection of sketch and feature.
Eventually, audiences could long to return to a realm of (very slight) reason. Nevertheless, it's necessary to respect a genuine dedication to the craft. Given that we are to entertain ourselves relentlessly, let's at least laugh at it.
