A Look at Fackham Hall – This Rapid-Fire, Humorous Downton Abbey Spoof That's Refreshingly Ephemeral.
Maybe the sense of end times around us: following a long period of quiet, the spoof is staging a resurgence. The past few months saw the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, at its best, mocks the grandiosity of overly serious genres with a flood of heightened tropes, sight gags, and ridiculously smart wordplay.
Frivolous eras, it seems, create an appetite for self-awarely frivolous, gag-packed, pleasantly insubstantial fun.
The Latest Entry in This Silly Wave
The most recent of these silly send-ups is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that jabs at the highly satirizable airs of gilded British period dramas. Co-written by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has plenty of inspiration to draw from and wastes none of it.
Opening on a ludicrous start and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this entertaining aristocratic caper crams all of its 97 minutes with puns and routines that vary from the juvenile up to the truly humorous.
A Pastiche of The Gentry and Staff
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a caricature of extremely pompous rich people and very obsequious staff. The narrative centers on the feckless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their four sons in separate tragic accidents, their hopes now rest on securing unions for their daughters.
One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of an engagement to the suitable kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But once she withdraws, the burden shifts to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk at 23 and and holds unladylike notions regarding female autonomy.
The Film's Humor Lands Most Effectively
The parody fares much better when joking about the oppressive norms forced upon Edwardian-era women – an area often mined for earnest storytelling. The stereotype of respectable, enviable femininity supplies the richest punching bags.
The plot, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd spoof, is secondary to the jokes. Carr delivers them coming at a pleasantly funny pace. Included is a murder, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair involving the roguish pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
The Constraints of Frivolous Amusement
It's all in lighthearted fun, but that very quality imposes restrictions. The amplified absurdity of a spoof can wear after a while, and the mileage on this particular variety expires at the intersection of a skit and feature.
Eventually, one may desire to go back to the world of (at least a modicum of) reason. But, one must applaud a wholehearted devotion to this type of comedy. If we're going to entertain ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to find the humor in it.
