A Look at Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Funny Takeoff on Downton That's Refreshingly Ephemeral.

It could be the feeling of uncertain days in the air: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is making a comeback. The past few months observed the revival of this playful category, which, when done well, lampoons the self-importance of excessively solemn genres with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, visual jokes, and ridiculously smart wordplay.

Unserious eras, it seems, beget deliberately shallow, joke-dense, pleasantly insubstantial entertainment.

The Latest Entry in This Absurd Trend

The latest of these silly send-ups arrives as Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that jabs at the highly satirizable airs of opulent British period dramas. Co-written by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and helmed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has plenty of source material to mine and wastes none of it.

From a absurd opening to a preposterous conclusion, this entertaining silver-spoon romp crams every one of its hour and a half with gags and sketches running the gamut from the juvenile to the truly humorous.

A Mimicry of Aristocrats and Servants

Much like Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a pastiche of very self-important aristocrats and very obsequious servants. The plot centers on the incompetent Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their children in a series of unfortunate mishaps, their hopes now rest on finding matches for their daughters.

One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the appropriate close relative, Archibald (a wonderfully unctuous Tom Felton). However after she withdraws, the onus shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a spinster of a woman" and who harbors dangerously modern beliefs concerning women's independence.

The Film's Comedy Works Best

The spoof is significantly more successful when sending up the suffocating expectations placed on pre-war ladies – a topic typically treated for po-faced melodrama. The archetype of idealized ladylike behavior provides the best material for mockery.

The narrative thread, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd parody, is secondary to the bits. The co-writer delivers them maintaining a consistently comedic pace. The film features a killing, a farcical probe, and an illicit love affair between the roguish pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

Limitations and Frivolous Amusement

It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach imposes restrictions. The amplified silliness characteristic of the genre might grate quickly, and the mileage in this instance diminishes at the intersection of a skit and feature.

After a while, one may desire to return to stories with (at least a modicum of) logic. Yet, it's necessary to respect a sincere commitment to the artform. In an age where we might to amuse ourselves relentlessly, let's at least find the humor in it.