Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Witty Downton Abbey Spoof That's Delightfully Lightweight.

It could be the notion of end times in the air: following a long period of quiet, the spoof is making a comeback. This summer witnessed the revival of this playful category, which, at its best, mocks the self-importance of excessively solemn genres with a flood of pitched clichés, visual jokes, and stupid-clever puns.

Playful eras, so it goes, create an appetite for self-awarely frivolous, laugh-filled, pleasantly insubstantial entertainment.

A Recent Entry in This Absurd Trend

The most recent of these goofy parodies arrives as Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that jabs at the very pokeable airs of wealthy British period dramas. The screenplay comes from stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the movie finds ample of source material to draw from and uses all of it.

Starting with a ridiculous beginning all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this enjoyable silver-spoon romp crams every one of its 97 minutes with puns and routines ranging from the puerile up to the genuinely funny.

A Pastiche of The Gentry and Staff

In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall offers a spoof of extremely pompous the nobility and very obsequious servants. The narrative focuses on the hapless Lord Davenport (played by an enjoyably affected Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in various tragic accidents, their aspirations now rest on finding matches for their daughters.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of a promise to marry the suitable close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). However when she pulls out, the onus shifts to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as an old maid at 23 and and possesses unladylike notions concerning female autonomy.

Its Laughs Lands Most Effectively

The parody achieves greater effect when satirizing the oppressive social constraints placed on pre-war females – a topic frequently explored for self-serious drama. The stereotype of idealized ladylike behavior offers the best comic targets.

The plot, as one would expect from a deliberately silly parody, is secondary to the jokes. The writer delivers them coming at a consistently comedic rate. There is a homicide, a bungled inquiry, and an illicit love affair between the charming street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Frivolous Amusement

The entire affair is for harmless amusement, but that very quality has limitations. The dialed-up absurdity characteristic of the genre might grate over time, and the entertainment value on this particular variety runs out at the intersection of a skit and a full-length film.

Eventually, you might wish to return to a realm of (at least a modicum of) coherence. Yet, you have to admire a genuine dedication to the artform. If we're going to amuse ourselves unto oblivion, it's preferable to see the funny side.