A Look at Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Humorous Takeoff on Downton Which Is Refreshingly Lightweight.
It could be the notion of uncertain days around us: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is staging a return. This summer saw the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, in its finest form, mocks the pretensions of excessively solemn genre with a torrent of pitched clichés, physical comedy, and stupid-clever puns.
Unserious eras, so it goes, beget self-awarely frivolous, laugh-filled, pleasantly insubstantial amusement.
The Newest Addition in This Silly Trend
The most recent of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that jabs at the very pokeable airs of wealthy British period dramas. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature 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 amusing silver-spoon romp fills each of its hour and a half with jokes and bits that vary from the puerile all the way to the authentically hilarious.
A Send-Up of Aristocrats and Servants
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a spoof of extremely pompous the nobility and overly fawning staff. The story revolves around the incompetent Lord Davenport (played by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in various calamitous events, their plans now rest on finding matches for their daughters.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the family goal of an engagement to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (a wonderfully unctuous Tom Felton). Yet when she pulls out, the onus transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk of a woman" and and holds radically progressive ideas concerning women's independence.
The Film's Humor Works Best
The film is significantly more successful when joking about the suffocating norms placed on pre-war ladies – an area frequently explored for earnest storytelling. The archetype of idealized womanhood provides the most fertile comic targets.
The narrative thread, as is fitting for a deliberately silly parody, is secondary to the bits. Carr keeps them arriving at a pleasantly funny pace. The film features a murder, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair featuring the charming street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Pure Silliness
Everything is in the spirit of playful comedy, though that itself imposes restrictions. The amplified absurdity of a spoof may tire after a while, and the comic fuel for this specific type runs out somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
At a certain point, you might wish to retreat to a realm of (at least a modicum of) coherence. But, one must respect a genuine dedication to the artform. Given that we are to distract ourselves to death, it's preferable to see the funny side.
