A Look at Fackham Hall – A Brisk, Funny Takeoff on Downton Which Is Refreshingly Ephemeral.
Maybe the feeling of uncertain days pervading: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the parody is enjoying a comeback. This summer observed the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, when done well, lampoons the pretensions of pompously earnest dramas with a flood of exaggerated stereotypes, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Playful times, so it goes, beget deliberately shallow, laugh-filled, welcome light amusement.
A Recent Addition in This Silly Wave
The most recent of these absurd spoofs comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the very pokeable airs of opulent British period dramas. Penned in part by UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of inspiration to draw from and exploits every bit of it.
Opening on a ridiculous beginning to a outrageous finale, this entertaining aristocratic caper fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines that vary from the childish up to the genuinely funny.
A Send-Up of The Gentry and Staff
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a caricature of very self-important rich people and overly fawning servants. The story revolves around the incompetent Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their four sons in various unfortunate mishaps, their hopes fall upon securing unions for their two girls.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the appropriate close relative, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). But after she pulls out, the burden falls upon the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as an old maid of a woman" and and holds unladylike ideas about female autonomy.
Where the Comedy Works Best
The film achieves greater effect when joking about the stifling norms placed on early 20th-century ladies – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The trope of respectable, enviable womanhood offers the richest comic targets.
The plot, as befitting a deliberately silly parody, takes a back seat to the jokes. The writer delivers them arriving at a consistently comedic pace. There is a killing, a farcical probe, and a star-crossed attraction between the roguish street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
Limitations and Frivolous Amusement
Everything is in lighthearted fun, though that itself has limitations. The dialed-up silliness characteristic of the genre may tire over time, and the entertainment value on this particular variety expires in the space between sketch and a full-length film.
At a certain point, one may desire to go back to a realm of (at least a modicum of) coherence. But, one must applaud a wholehearted devotion to the craft. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to find the humor in it.
