Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Witty Downton Abbey Spoof Which Is Delightfully Ephemeral.
It could be the feeling of end times in the air: after years of inactivity, the spoof is making a resurgence. This summer witnessed the revival of this playful category, which, in its finest form, lampoons the self-importance of pompously earnest dramas with a flood of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious eras, apparently, beget knowingly unserious, joke-dense, pleasantly insubstantial entertainment.
The Latest Offering in This Absurd Wave
The newest of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that needles the very pokeable pretensions of opulent British period dramas. The screenplay comes from UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has a wealth of source material to work with and exploits every bit of it.
Opening on a ridiculous beginning all the way to its outrageous finale, this entertaining aristocratic caper packs all of its 97 minutes with jokes and bits that vary from the juvenile to the genuinely funny.
A Mimicry of The Gentry and Staff
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall offers a pastiche of very self-important the nobility and overly fawning servants. The plot centers on the feckless Lord Davenport (played by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in various unfortunate mishaps, their hopes fall upon finding matches for their two girls.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the dynastic aim of an engagement to the right close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). However when she pulls out, the pressure falls upon the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid of a woman" and and possesses unladylike beliefs about women's independence.
Its Comedy Succeeds
The parody is significantly more successful when satirizing the stifling norms forced upon early 20th-century ladies – a topic typically treated for earnest storytelling. The trope of proper, coveted ladylike behavior offers the richest punching bags.
The plot, as is fitting for a purposefully absurd spoof, is secondary to the bits. Carr delivers them maintaining a pleasantly funny pace. Included is a killing, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair featuring the plucky thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Pure Silliness
Everything is in lighthearted fun, however, this approach imposes restrictions. The dialed-up absurdity of a spoof can wear over time, and the entertainment value for this specific type diminishes at the intersection of sketch and a full-length film.
After a while, you might wish to retreat to a realm of (at least a modicum of) logic. But, one must respect a wholehearted devotion to the craft. If we're going to entertain ourselves to death, let's at least find the humor in it.
