Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Funny Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Refreshingly Lightweight.

Maybe the feeling of end times pervading: after years of inactivity, the comedic send-up is staging a resurgence. This summer saw the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, at its best, mocks the pretensions of pompously earnest genre with a barrage of pitched clichés, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns.

Frivolous eras, so it goes, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, pleasantly insubstantial entertainment.

The Newest Offering in This Goofy Trend

The latest of these silly send-ups comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that needles the easily mockable self-importance of gilded UK historical series. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has plenty of source material to mine and exploits every bit of it.

Starting with a ridiculous beginning all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable silver-spoon romp packs all of its 97 minutes with gags and sketches running the gamut from the puerile all the way to the truly humorous.

A Mimicry of Upstairs, Downstairs

Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a caricature of very self-important the nobility and overly fawning help. The story focuses on the hapless Lord Davenport (portrayed by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in a series of unfortunate mishaps, their aspirations are pinned on finding matches for their offspring.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the family goal of betrothal to the right kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). However once she backs out, the pressure falls upon the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk at 23 and and possesses radically progressive beliefs regarding female autonomy.

The Film's Laughs Works Best

The film is significantly more successful when sending up the stifling norms forced upon Edwardian-era females – a topic often mined for self-serious drama. The stereotype of proper, coveted womanhood offers the best material for mockery.

The storyline, as one would expect from a deliberately silly parody, takes a back seat to the jokes. The co-writer serves them up coming at a pleasantly funny pace. The film features a murder, a bungled inquiry, and a star-crossed attraction featuring the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Frivolous Amusement

The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, though that itself imposes restrictions. The amplified absurdity inherent to parody can wear after a while, and the entertainment value in this instance runs out in the space between sketch and feature.

Eventually, you might wish to retreat to the world of (at least a modicum of) coherence. But, one must applaud a sincere commitment to the artform. In an age where we might to distract ourselves unto oblivion, let's at least laugh at it.