A Look at Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Humorous Parody of Downton Abbey Which Is Refreshingly Ephemeral.

It could be the feeling of end times in the air: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the spoof is staging a return. This summer witnessed the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, in its finest form, lampoons the self-importance of pompously earnest dramas with a barrage of heightened tropes, sight gags, and stupid-clever puns.

Playful times, apparently, beget knowingly unserious, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow fun.

A Recent Offering in This Absurd Wave

The most recent of these absurd spoofs comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the easily mockable pretensions of opulent British period dramas. Penned in part by stand-up performer Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of material to work with and exploits every bit of it.

From a ridiculous beginning and culminating in a preposterous conclusion, this entertaining silver-spoon romp fills each of its 97 minutes with gags and sketches ranging from the juvenile to the truly humorous.

A Pastiche of The Gentry and Staff

In the vein of Downton, Fackham Hall presents a spoof of extremely pompous the nobility and very obsequious servants. The story revolves around the incompetent Lord Davenport (portrayed by a delightfully mannered Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their children in various unfortunate mishaps, their hopes are pinned on marrying off their daughters.

One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the family goal of an engagement to the appropriate kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But after she pulls out, the pressure shifts to the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster already and who harbors radically progressive ideas concerning women's independence.

Its Comedy Lands Most Effectively

The parody fares much better when joking about the oppressive expectations forced upon pre-war females – a subject often mined for po-faced melodrama. The trope of proper, coveted womanhood provides the best material for mockery.

The storyline, as is fitting for a deliberately silly parody, is secondary to the jokes. Carr serves them up maintaining an amiably humorous pace. Included is a killing, an incompetent investigation, and a star-crossed attraction involving the charming pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Frivolous Amusement

It's all for harmless amusement, though that itself imposes restrictions. The amplified silliness of a spoof might grate over time, and the mileage for this specific type expires at the intersection of a skit and feature.

After a while, audiences could long to retreat to a realm of (at least a modicum of) coherence. Yet, it's necessary to applaud a sincere commitment to the artform. In an age where we might to entertain ourselves to death, let's at least laugh at it.