Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Humorous Parody of Downton Abbey That's Refreshingly Throwaway.
Perhaps the notion of uncertain days in the air: after years of dormancy, the comedic send-up is enjoying a comeback. This summer observed the revival of this unserious film style, which, at its best, mocks the grandiosity of overly serious genre with a torrent of pitched clichés, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Frivolous times, apparently, beget deliberately shallow, joke-dense, welcome light fun.
The Latest Offering in This Absurd Trend
The latest of these goofy parodies comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that jabs at the very pokeable pretensions of wealthy UK historical series. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has a wealth of inspiration to mine and wastes none of it.
From a ridiculous beginning to a ludicrous finish, this amusing aristocratic caper packs every one of its runtime with gags and sketches ranging from the juvenile up to the genuinely funny.
A Pastiche of Upstairs, Downstairs
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall offers a spoof of overly dignified rich people and very obsequious staff. The story 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 children in a series of tragic accidents, their aspirations now rest on securing unions for their offspring.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the right close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But once she pulls out, the burden shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a spinster already and and holds unladylike notions concerning female autonomy.
Where the Humor Succeeds
The film achieves greater effect when sending up the suffocating social constraints imposed on early 20th-century ladies – a topic frequently explored for po-faced melodrama. The trope of respectable, enviable femininity offers the best comic targets.
The narrative thread, as befitting a purposefully absurd spoof, is secondary to the jokes. The writer delivers them coming at a consistently comedic clip. There is a killing, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair featuring the plucky street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Lighthearted Fun
Everything is for harmless amusement, but that very quality imposes restrictions. The amplified absurdity characteristic of the genre can wear quickly, and the mileage in this instance expires somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
After a while, you might wish to go back to a realm of (at least a modicum of) logic. Nevertheless, you have to respect a wholehearted devotion to this type of comedy. Given that we are to entertain ourselves to death, we might as well see the funny side.
