Fackham Hall – This Fast-Paced, Witty Takeoff on Downton Which Is Refreshingly Ephemeral.
Perhaps the feeling of end times in the air: after years of quiet, the parody is staging a return. The recent season saw the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, when done well, lampoons the self-importance of excessively solemn genre with a barrage of pitched clichés, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Frivolous periods, apparently, create an appetite for self-awarely frivolous, joke-dense, welcome light entertainment.
The Newest Offering in This Absurd Trend
The latest of these absurd spoofs comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that jabs at the easily mockable self-importance of wealthy English costume epics. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has plenty of source material to mine and uses all of it.
Starting with a absurd opening and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this amusing upper-class adventure crams all of its 97 minutes with jokes and bits that vary from the juvenile all the way to the genuinely funny.
A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of overly dignified rich people and very obsequious staff. The story focuses on the incompetent Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their four sons in various unfortunate mishaps, their hopes are pinned on marrying off their two girls.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the dynastic aim of betrothal to the appropriate close relative, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet once she backs out, the onus shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a "dried-up husk already and and possesses radically progressive notions about female autonomy.
Where the Laughs Lands Most Effectively
The parody is significantly more successful when joking about the oppressive social constraints forced upon Edwardian-era ladies – a topic frequently explored for self-serious drama. The stereotype of proper, coveted femininity provides the best material for mockery.
The storyline, as one would expect from a deliberately silly parody, is secondary to the gags. Carr keeps them coming at a pleasantly funny clip. Included is a homicide, a farcical probe, and a star-crossed attraction featuring the plucky thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Pure Silliness
The entire affair is for harmless amusement, but that very quality has limitations. The amplified silliness characteristic of the genre can wear after a while, and the entertainment value in this instance diminishes somewhere between sketch and a full-length film.
At a certain point, audiences could long to return to the world of (very slight) coherence. Nevertheless, it's necessary to respect a genuine dedication to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves to death, we might as well laugh at it.