Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Humorous Takeoff on Downton That's Pleasantly Lightweight.

Perhaps the sense of end times around us: subsequent to a lengthy span of inactivity, the spoof is staging a comeback. This summer saw the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, when done well, lampoons the self-importance of overly serious genre with a barrage of exaggerated stereotypes, physical comedy, and ridiculously smart wordplay.

Unserious times, apparently, give rise to deliberately shallow, joke-dense, welcome light fun.

A Recent Offering in This Absurd Resurgence

The newest of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that needles the highly satirizable pretensions of opulent UK historical series. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie has plenty of material to mine and uses all of it.

From a absurd opening and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this amusing upper-class adventure fills all of its runtime with puns and routines that vary from the puerile all the way to the genuinely funny.

A Pastiche of Aristocrats and Servants

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a spoof of extremely pompous rich people and overly fawning servants. The plot revolves around the feckless Lord Davenport (portrayed by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their male heirs in a series of unfortunate mishaps, their hopes now rest on securing unions for their daughters.

The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of a promise to marry the appropriate close relative, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). However after she withdraws, the onus shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a "dried-up husk at 23 and and possesses dangerously modern beliefs concerning a woman's own mind.

Where the Laughs Lands Most Effectively

The spoof achieves greater effect when sending up the oppressive social constraints imposed on Edwardian-era women – an area typically treated for earnest storytelling. The stereotype of respectable, enviable ladylike behavior offers the richest comic targets.

The narrative thread, as befitting an intentionally ridiculous spoof, is secondary to the gags. The writer delivers them maintaining an amiably humorous pace. There is a murder, a bungled inquiry, and a star-crossed attraction involving the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

Limitations and Lighthearted Fun

The entire affair is for harmless amusement, however, this approach comes with constraints. The amplified foolishness characteristic of the genre may tire over time, and the comic fuel for this specific type expires somewhere between sketch and a full-length film.

At a certain point, audiences could long to return to a realm of (at least a modicum of) logic. Nevertheless, it's necessary to respect a wholehearted devotion to the artform. If we're going to distract ourselves to death, let's at least laugh at it.