🔗 Share this article A Look at Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Refreshingly Lightweight. Perhaps the sense of an ending era in the air: after years of dormancy, the spoof is enjoying a resurgence. This summer saw the revival of this unserious film style, which, when done well, mocks the grandiosity of overly serious genres with a torrent of heightened tropes, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns. Playful periods, so it goes, create an appetite for deliberately shallow, laugh-filled, welcome light fun. The Newest Entry in This Silly Resurgence The latest of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the easily mockable pretensions of wealthy British period dramas. Penned in part by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of inspiration to work with and wastes none of it. Opening on a ludicrous start and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable aristocratic caper packs every one of its hour and a half with gags and sketches ranging from the juvenile all the way to the genuinely funny. A Mimicry of The Gentry and Staff Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall offers a caricature of extremely pompous aristocrats and overly fawning help. The plot focuses on the feckless Lord Davenport (played by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their four sons in separate unfortunate mishaps, their plans now rest on marrying off their offspring. The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of betrothal to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet after she pulls out, the pressure shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster already and and possesses unladylike notions regarding female autonomy. Its Humor Works Best The spoof achieves greater effect when joking about the oppressive social constraints forced upon early 20th-century women – a topic frequently explored for self-serious drama. The trope of idealized ladylike behavior supplies the best punching bags. The plot, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd parody, takes a back seat to the jokes. Carr serves them up maintaining an amiably humorous pace. Included is a murder, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair between the plucky street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose. Limitations and Pure Silliness It's all for harmless amusement, but that very quality comes with constraints. The amplified foolishness characteristic of the genre can wear quickly, and the comic fuel on this particular variety diminishes at the intersection of sketch and feature. Eventually, audiences could long to retreat to stories with (very slight) logic. Nevertheless, you have to respect a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to entertain ourselves to death, let's at least find the humor in it.
Perhaps the sense of an ending era in the air: after years of dormancy, the spoof is enjoying a resurgence. This summer saw the revival of this unserious film style, which, when done well, mocks the grandiosity of overly serious genres with a torrent of heightened tropes, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns. Playful periods, so it goes, create an appetite for deliberately shallow, laugh-filled, welcome light fun. The Newest Entry in This Silly Resurgence The latest of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the easily mockable pretensions of wealthy British period dramas. Penned in part by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature finds ample of inspiration to work with and wastes none of it. Opening on a ludicrous start and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable aristocratic caper packs every one of its hour and a half with gags and sketches ranging from the juvenile all the way to the genuinely funny. A Mimicry of The Gentry and Staff Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall offers a caricature of extremely pompous aristocrats and overly fawning help. The plot focuses on the feckless Lord Davenport (played by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their four sons in separate unfortunate mishaps, their plans now rest on marrying off their offspring. The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of betrothal to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet after she pulls out, the pressure shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster already and and possesses unladylike notions regarding female autonomy. Its Humor Works Best The spoof achieves greater effect when joking about the oppressive social constraints forced upon early 20th-century women – a topic frequently explored for self-serious drama. The trope of idealized ladylike behavior supplies the best punching bags. The plot, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd parody, takes a back seat to the jokes. Carr serves them up maintaining an amiably humorous pace. Included is a murder, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair between the plucky street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose. Limitations and Pure Silliness It's all for harmless amusement, but that very quality comes with constraints. The amplified foolishness characteristic of the genre can wear quickly, and the comic fuel on this particular variety diminishes at the intersection of sketch and feature. Eventually, audiences could long to retreat to stories with (very slight) logic. Nevertheless, you have to respect a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to entertain ourselves to death, let's at least find the humor in it.