Fackham Hall – A Rapid-Fire, Humorous Takeoff on Downton Which Is Refreshingly Lightweight.

Maybe the sense of end times pervading: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the comedic send-up is making a comeback. This summer witnessed the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, when done well, lampoons the self-importance of excessively solemn genres with a barrage of heightened tropes, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns.

Playful eras, it seems, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, welcome light entertainment.

The Newest Offering in This Absurd Trend

The newest of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that needles the easily mockable airs of opulent British period dramas. Co-written by UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has plenty of source material to mine and uses all of it.

From a ludicrous start to a outrageous finale, this amusing aristocratic caper fills every one of its runtime with puns and routines that vary from the juvenile to the authentically hilarious.

A Mimicry of The Gentry and Staff

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall offers a pastiche of very self-important aristocrats and very obsequious servants. The narrative revolves around the hapless Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their four sons in a series of unfortunate mishaps, their hopes now rest on marrying off their daughters.

The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the dynastic aim of a promise to marry the right close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet when she withdraws, the pressure falls upon the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster already and who harbors dangerously modern notions concerning women's independence.

Its Humor Lands Most Effectively

The parody achieves greater effect when satirizing the suffocating social constraints placed on Edwardian-era females – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The stereotype of idealized womanhood provides the most fertile comic targets.

The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous spoof, takes a back seat to the gags. The writer serves them up arriving at a consistently comedic rate. Included is a killing, a bungled inquiry, and a forbidden romance involving the roguish thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

The Constraints of Frivolous Amusement

The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, but that very quality comes with constraints. The amplified silliness of a spoof might grate over time, and the comic fuel on this particular variety expires in the space between a skit and a full-length film.

At a certain point, one may desire to return to the world of (very slight) coherence. But, it's necessary to respect a genuine dedication to the artform. Given that we are to entertain ourselves to death, let's at least laugh at it.