Fackham Hall – This Rapid-Fire, Humorous Takeoff on Downton That's Pleasantly Throwaway.
It could be the sense of end times pervading: after years of quiet, the spoof is enjoying a resurgence. The recent season witnessed the rebirth of this playful category, which, in its finest form, mocks the self-importance of overly serious genres with a barrage of heightened tropes, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious times, apparently, create an appetite for deliberately shallow, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow amusement.
A Recent Offering in This Silly Resurgence
The newest of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the very pokeable pretensions of opulent UK historical series. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has plenty of material to draw from and uses all of it.
Starting with a absurd opening and culminating in a ludicrous finish, this enjoyable silver-spoon romp packs all of its runtime with puns and routines that vary from the juvenile to the truly humorous.
A Send-Up of Aristocrats and Servants
In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a caricature of overly dignified rich people and very obsequious servants. The story revolves around 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 four sons in various unfortunate mishaps, their hopes fall upon securing unions for their two girls.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the family goal of a promise to marry the right close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But once she withdraws, the burden transfers to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a spinster at 23 and and possesses unladylike beliefs concerning female autonomy.
Its Humor Lands Most Effectively
The spoof is significantly more successful when joking about the stifling norms forced upon pre-war females – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The stereotype of idealized womanhood provides the most fertile punching bags.
The storyline, as one would expect from an intentionally ridiculous spoof, takes a back seat to the jokes. The co-writer serves them up maintaining an amiably humorous rate. Included is a killing, a bungled inquiry, and a star-crossed attraction featuring the roguish pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
A Note on Frivolous Amusement
The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach has limitations. The amplified foolishness characteristic of the genre might grate over time, and the entertainment value for this specific type runs out in the space between a skit and a full-length film.
Eventually, audiences could long to retreat to stories with (at least a modicum of) coherence. Yet, it's necessary to respect a wholehearted devotion to the craft. Given that we are to distract ourselves relentlessly, let's at least laugh at it.