Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Delightfully Lightweight.
Maybe the feeling of end times pervading: after years of dormancy, the comedic send-up is enjoying a resurgence. The recent season observed the revival of this lighthearted genre, which, in its finest form, lampoons the grandiosity of overly serious genre with a barrage of heightened tropes, visual jokes, and ridiculously smart wordplay.
Playful eras, so it goes, beget self-awarely frivolous, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow amusement.
A Recent Entry in This Absurd Resurgence
The latest of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that jabs at the easily mockable pretensions of wealthy UK historical series. Co-written by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has a wealth of source material to work with and wastes none of it.
Starting with a ludicrous start all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable aristocratic caper fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines ranging from the childish all the way to the authentically hilarious.
A Mimicry of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of very self-important rich people and very obsequious servants. The plot revolves around the hapless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their children in separate tragic accidents, their aspirations fall upon marrying off their offspring.
One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the aristocratic objective of an engagement to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet once she backs out, the onus shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk at 23 and who harbors unladylike notions concerning female autonomy.
Its Comedy Succeeds
The spoof achieves greater effect when satirizing the oppressive expectations forced upon early 20th-century women – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The archetype of idealized ladylike behavior offers the most fertile punching bags.
The plot, as befitting a deliberately silly send-up, takes a back seat to the jokes. Carr delivers them coming at a consistently comedic rate. The film features a murder, a farcical probe, and a star-crossed attraction between the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Lighthearted Fun
The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, though that itself has limitations. The dialed-up absurdity inherent to parody can wear quickly, and the mileage on this particular variety runs out in the space between sketch and a full-length film.
At a certain point, one may desire to go back to the world of (at least a modicum of) reason. But, you have to admire a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves relentlessly, we might as well find the humor in it.
