Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Pleasantly Throwaway.

It could be the notion of an ending era pervading: following a long period of dormancy, the comedic send-up is enjoying a resurgence. This summer saw the re-emergence of this unserious film style, which, in its finest form, lampoons the pretensions of overly serious dramas with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and ridiculously smart wordplay.

Frivolous periods, it seems, create an appetite for self-awarely frivolous, joke-dense, welcome light fun.

The Latest Entry in This Absurd Resurgence

The newest of these absurd spoofs comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that needles the highly satirizable pretensions of wealthy British period dramas. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie finds ample of material to work with and uses all of it.

Starting with a ridiculous beginning and culminating in a ludicrous finish, this entertaining silver-spoon romp crams each of its 97 minutes with jokes and bits running the gamut from the juvenile to the truly humorous.

A Send-Up of Aristocrats and Servants

In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a caricature of very self-important rich people and excessively servile help. The story centers on the feckless 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 various unfortunate mishaps, their hopes are pinned on finding matches for their two girls.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the dynastic aim of betrothal to the suitable kinsman, Archibald (a wonderfully unctuous Tom Felton). But once she withdraws, the pressure shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a spinster of a woman" and who harbors radically progressive beliefs about female autonomy.

Its Laughs Succeeds

The spoof achieves greater effect when joking about the suffocating expectations placed on early 20th-century women – a topic frequently explored for self-serious drama. The archetype of idealized womanhood supplies the richest material for mockery.

The narrative thread, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd parody, is secondary to the bits. The writer serves them up maintaining a pleasantly funny rate. The film features a murder, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair featuring the roguish thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Lighthearted Fun

The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, but that very quality comes with constraints. The heightened foolishness inherent to parody can wear over time, and the entertainment value for this specific type runs out in the space between a skit and feature.

After a while, you might wish to go back to the world of (very slight) coherence. Nevertheless, it's necessary to admire a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves unto oblivion, let's at least find the humor in it.