A Look at Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Pleasantly Lightweight.
Maybe the feeling of uncertain days pervading: following a long period of dormancy, the spoof is making a resurgence. This summer saw the re-emergence of this playful category, which, in its finest form, skewers the pretensions of pompously earnest genre with a barrage of pitched clichés, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious periods, it seems, beget knowingly unserious, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow amusement.
A Recent Addition in This Goofy Trend
The newest of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the easily mockable self-importance of opulent British period dramas. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has a wealth of inspiration to mine and wastes none of it.
Opening on a ridiculous beginning to a ludicrous finish, this entertaining silver-spoon romp packs every one of its 97 minutes with puns and routines running the gamut from the childish up to the truly humorous.
A Send-Up of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a spoof of very self-important rich people and overly fawning staff. The story centers on the hapless Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in a series of calamitous events, their hopes are pinned on marrying off their offspring.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of an engagement to the appropriate first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). But once she withdraws, the onus falls upon the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a spinster at 23 and and holds unladylike beliefs concerning a woman's own mind.
Where the Humor Works Best
The parody achieves greater effect when satirizing the suffocating expectations placed on early 20th-century females – a subject frequently explored for self-serious drama. The trope of idealized ladylike behavior supplies the richest material for mockery.
The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous parody, is secondary to the gags. Carr delivers them coming at a pleasantly funny pace. There is a homicide, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair between the plucky street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Pure Silliness
The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, however, this approach imposes restrictions. The dialed-up foolishness of a spoof may tire quickly, and the entertainment value in this instance diminishes at the intersection of sketch and a full-length film.
After a while, one may desire to return to a realm of (very slight) logic. But, you have to respect a genuine dedication to this type of comedy. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to see the funny side.
