Fackham Hall Review – A Brisk, Humorous Takeoff on Downton That's Refreshingly Lightweight.

Perhaps the sense of end times pervading: subsequent to a lengthy span of quiet, the spoof is making a comeback. This summer witnessed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, at its best, skewers the self-importance of pompously earnest dramas with a barrage of pitched clichés, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.

Frivolous times, apparently, create an appetite for knowingly unserious, laugh-filled, welcome light entertainment.

A Recent Offering in This Silly Resurgence

The newest of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that jabs at the easily mockable pretensions of gilded British period dramas. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of material to work with and uses all of it.

Opening on a absurd opening and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this amusing silver-spoon romp packs each of its hour and a half with gags and sketches ranging from the puerile up to the authentically hilarious.

A Pastiche of Aristocrats and Servants

In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of overly dignified the nobility and very obsequious servants. The plot centers on the hapless Lord Davenport (played by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their four sons in separate unfortunate mishaps, their plans are pinned on securing unions for their two girls.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of betrothal to the right kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But after she withdraws, the onus transfers to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk already and and possesses unladylike beliefs regarding female autonomy.

Where the Laughs Succeeds

The parody achieves greater effect when satirizing the oppressive norms imposed on early 20th-century females – an area frequently explored for self-serious drama. The stereotype of respectable, enviable womanhood supplies the most fertile comic targets.

The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous parody, takes a back seat to the gags. The co-writer keeps them coming at an amiably humorous rate. The film features a murder, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair involving the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

The Constraints of Pure Silliness

Everything is in lighthearted fun, however, this approach has limitations. The heightened foolishness of a spoof can wear over time, and the mileage in this instance diminishes somewhere between sketch and a full-length film.

Eventually, you might wish to retreat to stories with (at least a modicum of) reason. Nevertheless, one must applaud a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves to death, let's at least see the funny side.