A Look at Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Humorous Takeoff on Downton That's Pleasantly Lightweight.
Perhaps the feeling of end times around us: following a long period of inactivity, the spoof is enjoying a return. The past few months saw the revival of this lighthearted genre, which, when done well, skewers the self-importance of excessively solemn genres with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious times, apparently, give rise to self-awarely frivolous, joke-dense, refreshingly shallow entertainment.
The Latest Entry in This Goofy Wave
The most recent of these absurd spoofs arrives as Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the very pokeable airs of gilded English costume epics. Co-written by UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie finds ample of material to work with and exploits every bit of it.
From a ridiculous beginning to a preposterous conclusion, this amusing silver-spoon romp fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines ranging from the juvenile up to the authentically hilarious.
A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of overly dignified aristocrats and very obsequious servants. The story focuses on the feckless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their male heirs in separate unfortunate mishaps, their aspirations now rest on finding matches for their daughters.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of betrothal to the suitable close relative, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet when she withdraws, the burden falls upon the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid at 23 and and holds unladylike ideas about female autonomy.
The Film's Laughs Works Best
The parody fares much better when joking about the stifling norms placed on Edwardian-era ladies – a topic often mined for earnest storytelling. The trope of idealized femininity offers the most fertile punching bags.
The storyline, as one would expect from a deliberately silly send-up, is of lesser importance to the jokes. The co-writer keeps them maintaining a pleasantly funny clip. The film features a killing, a bungled inquiry, and a forbidden romance between the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Lighthearted Fun
It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, though that itself imposes restrictions. The dialed-up absurdity of a spoof can wear after a while, and the mileage on this particular variety runs out somewhere between a skit and a full-length film.
After a while, one may desire to go back to stories with (very slight) reason. Yet, it's necessary to applaud a sincere commitment to the craft. If we're going to entertain ourselves unto oblivion, we might as well find the humor in it.
