Fackham Hall Review – A Brisk, Funny Takeoff on Downton That's Refreshingly Throwaway.
Perhaps the notion of uncertain days pervading: after years of inactivity, the comedic send-up is enjoying a return. The past few months saw the revival of this unserious film style, which, in its finest form, skewers the grandiosity of pompously earnest dramas with a flood of exaggerated stereotypes, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious periods, apparently, beget self-awarely frivolous, joke-dense, pleasantly insubstantial amusement.
The Latest Entry in This Absurd Resurgence
The newest of these silly send-ups is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the easily mockable pretensions of opulent English costume epics. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has plenty of material to mine and exploits every bit of it.
From a ludicrous start and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this entertaining upper-class adventure packs every one of its runtime with gags and sketches ranging from the juvenile all the way to the genuinely funny.
A Pastiche of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of overly dignified aristocrats and very obsequious help. The plot focuses on the feckless Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their children in a series of calamitous events, their plans now rest on finding matches for their two girls.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). However when she backs out, the onus falls upon the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid at 23 and and possesses unladylike ideas concerning a woman's own mind.
Where the Comedy Succeeds
The parody achieves greater effect when satirizing the oppressive norms imposed on early 20th-century females – a topic typically treated for self-serious drama. The archetype of proper, coveted femininity supplies the best comic targets.
The narrative thread, as befitting a purposefully absurd parody, is secondary to the jokes. Carr delivers them arriving at a consistently comedic pace. The film features a homicide, an incompetent investigation, and a forbidden romance featuring the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Lighthearted Fun
It's all in lighthearted fun, but that very quality imposes restrictions. The amplified absurdity characteristic of the genre may tire over time, and the comic fuel on this particular variety expires in the space between sketch and feature.
Eventually, one may desire to go back to stories with (very slight) reason. Yet, one must respect a sincere commitment to the artform. If we're going to entertain ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to laugh at it.