Fackham Hall Review – This Fast-Paced, Humorous Takeoff on Downton That's Pleasantly Lightweight.
Maybe the feeling of end times in the air: subsequent to a lengthy span of quiet, the spoof is making a resurgence. The past few months witnessed the rebirth of this playful category, which, when done well, skewers the grandiosity of overly serious genres with a flood of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns.
Playful eras, apparently, give rise to self-awarely frivolous, laugh-filled, pleasantly insubstantial fun.
A Recent Addition in This Silly Wave
The newest of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the highly satirizable self-importance of wealthy UK historical series. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie finds ample of inspiration to draw from and uses all of it.
Starting with a ridiculous beginning all the way to its outrageous finale, this amusing silver-spoon romp packs all of its runtime with puns and routines that vary from the puerile all the way to the authentically hilarious.
A Mimicry of Aristocrats and Servants
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a caricature of overly dignified the nobility and excessively servile staff. The story focuses on the incompetent Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in separate unfortunate mishaps, their aspirations are pinned on securing unions for their daughters.
One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of a promise to marry the right kinsman, Archibald (a wonderfully unctuous Tom Felton). But after she backs out, the onus transfers to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk of a woman" and who harbors dangerously modern ideas regarding women's independence.
Where the Humor Lands Most Effectively
The film fares much better when joking about the stifling expectations placed on early 20th-century ladies – a subject often mined for self-serious drama. The stereotype of proper, coveted ladylike behavior offers the richest punching bags.
The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous spoof, is of lesser importance to the bits. The co-writer keeps them maintaining a pleasantly funny clip. There is a killing, a farcical probe, and a forbidden romance between the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Lighthearted Fun
Everything is for harmless amusement, but that very quality has limitations. The dialed-up foolishness of a spoof can wear quickly, and the comic fuel for this specific type diminishes at the intersection of a skit and feature.
Eventually, one may desire to retreat to stories with (very slight) reason. Nevertheless, one must respect a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. If we're going to amuse ourselves to death, it's preferable to see the funny side.
