Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Humorous Takeoff on Downton That's Refreshingly Ephemeral.
Maybe the notion of end times around us: following a long period of dormancy, the spoof is staging a return. The past few months witnessed the re-emergence of this playful category, which, when done well, skewers the pretensions of pompously earnest genres with a torrent of heightened tropes, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.
Unserious times, it seems, give rise to self-awarely frivolous, gag-packed, welcome light fun.
The Latest Addition in This Silly Wave
The most recent of these absurd spoofs is Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that pokes fun at the very pokeable airs of gilded English costume epics. The screenplay comes from UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of inspiration to mine and exploits every bit of it.
From a ridiculous beginning all the way to its preposterous conclusion, this entertaining silver-spoon romp crams all of its 97 minutes with puns and routines ranging from the childish up to the genuinely funny.
A Mimicry of Aristocrats and Servants
Much like Downton, Fackham Hall presents a spoof of overly dignified the nobility and overly fawning staff. The plot focuses on the incompetent Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their four sons in various tragic accidents, their aspirations fall upon securing unions for their daughters.
The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the aristocratic objective of betrothal to the right first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). Yet after she withdraws, the onus shifts to the unattached elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), considered a spinster at 23 and who harbors radically progressive notions regarding women's independence.
The Film's Comedy Works Best
The film achieves greater effect when sending up the oppressive norms placed on early 20th-century women – an area frequently explored for earnest storytelling. The trope of idealized femininity provides the richest comic targets.
The plot, as befitting a purposefully absurd spoof, is secondary to the gags. The co-writer keeps them maintaining a pleasantly funny pace. The film features a homicide, a farcical probe, and a star-crossed attraction involving the charming thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.
Limitations and Lighthearted Fun
The entire affair is in lighthearted fun, though that itself has limitations. The heightened silliness characteristic of the genre might grate after a while, and the comic fuel on this particular variety runs out somewhere between sketch and a full-length film.
Eventually, audiences could long to return to a realm of (very slight) reason. Yet, you have to applaud a sincere commitment to this type of comedy. If we're going to entertain ourselves unto oblivion, it's preferable to see the funny side.
