Fackham Hall – This Rapid-Fire, Funny Parody of Downton Abbey That's Pleasantly Ephemeral.
Perhaps the notion of uncertain days in the air: after years of dormancy, the parody is making a resurgence. The past few months witnessed the rebirth of this playful category, which, at its best, skewers the pretensions of excessively solemn dramas with a barrage of heightened tropes, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious eras, apparently, create an appetite for knowingly unserious, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow amusement.
The Newest Addition in This Absurd Resurgence
The latest of these silly send-ups is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the easily mockable airs of gilded UK historical series. Penned in part by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has plenty of source material to work with and uses all of it.
Opening on a ludicrous start all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this entertaining upper-class adventure crams all of its runtime with jokes and bits that vary from the childish all the way to the truly humorous.
A Mimicry of Upstairs, Downstairs
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall offers a caricature of very self-important rich people and excessively servile staff. The story revolves around the hapless Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their children in separate unfortunate mishaps, their plans now rest on finding matches for their daughters.
The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the family goal of betrothal to the suitable first cousin, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet once she withdraws, the onus shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a "dried-up husk at 23 and and possesses dangerously modern ideas concerning female autonomy.
Where the Comedy Succeeds
The spoof fares much better when satirizing the oppressive norms placed on pre-war females – an area typically treated for self-serious drama. The trope of respectable, enviable femininity provides the best comic targets.
The plot, as one would expect from an intentionally ridiculous spoof, is secondary to the bits. The co-writer keeps them coming at an amiably humorous rate. There is a murder, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair featuring the roguish thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Frivolous Amusement
It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, but that very quality has limitations. The dialed-up absurdity of a spoof can wear after a while, and the comic fuel in this instance expires somewhere between sketch and feature.
At a certain point, you might wish to return to a realm of (at least a modicum of) logic. Yet, it's necessary to admire a genuine dedication to the artform. Given that we are to entertain ourselves to death, let's at least see the funny side.
