Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Witty Takeoff on Downton That's Delightfully Lightweight.

Maybe the notion of uncertain days around us: subsequent to a lengthy span of dormancy, the spoof is staging a resurgence. The past few months observed the rebirth of this unserious film style, which, when done well, mocks the self-importance of excessively solemn dramas with a barrage of pitched clichés, visual jokes, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.

Frivolous periods, apparently, give rise to knowingly unserious, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow entertainment.

The Latest Entry in This Silly Wave

The newest of these goofy parodies is Fackham Hall, a parody of Downton Abbey that pokes fun at the easily mockable self-importance of opulent UK historical series. Penned in part by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has plenty of source material to draw from and uses all of it.

From a absurd opening all the way to its ludicrous finish, this amusing aristocratic caper crams each of its runtime with jokes and bits running the gamut from the childish up to the genuinely funny.

A Send-Up of The Gentry and Staff

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a caricature of overly dignified the nobility and overly fawning help. The plot focuses on the incompetent Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their four sons in a series of tragic accidents, their plans fall upon marrying off their daughters.

One daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the family goal of betrothal to the right kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). Yet after she pulls out, the onus falls upon the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered an old maid already and and possesses dangerously modern notions regarding women's independence.

The Film's Laughs Succeeds

The parody is significantly more successful when satirizing the suffocating norms forced upon early 20th-century females – a topic typically treated for self-serious drama. The archetype of proper, coveted womanhood offers the most fertile punching bags.

The narrative thread, as one would expect from a deliberately silly parody, takes a back seat to the gags. Carr serves them up arriving at a pleasantly funny rate. Included is a murder, an incompetent investigation, and a star-crossed attraction between the plucky street urchin Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

Limitations and Frivolous Amusement

Everything is for harmless amusement, though that itself imposes restrictions. The dialed-up silliness inherent to parody can wear after a while, and the entertainment value on this particular variety runs out at the intersection of sketch and feature.

At a certain point, one may desire to return to the world of (very slight) logic. Nevertheless, one must applaud a wholehearted devotion to the artform. In an age where we might to distract ourselves relentlessly, let's at least find the humor in it.