A Look at Fackham Hall – A Fast-Paced, Witty Parody of Downton Abbey That's Pleasantly Throwaway.

It could be the sense of uncertain days pervading: following a long period of inactivity, the comedic send-up is making a comeback. The past few months observed the re-emergence of this lighthearted genre, which, when done well, mocks the self-importance of overly serious genres with a torrent of pitched clichés, physical comedy, and ridiculously smart wordplay.

Frivolous eras, apparently, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow fun.

The Newest Offering in This Silly Resurgence

The most recent of these goofy parodies comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a takeoff on the British period drama that jabs at the highly satirizable self-importance of opulent English costume epics. Co-written by UK-Irish comic Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has a wealth of inspiration to work with and uses all of it.

Starting with a ridiculous beginning to a ludicrous finish, this enjoyable upper-class adventure crams every one of its hour and a half with puns and routines ranging from the childish to the authentically hilarious.

A Mimicry of Upstairs, Downstairs

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall presents a pastiche of very self-important the nobility and very obsequious help. The narrative centers on the hapless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his anti-reading wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Following the loss of their male heirs in a series of tragic accidents, their aspirations now rest on marrying off their daughters.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has accomplished the family goal of a promise to marry the suitable close relative, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). However after she pulls out, the onus transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), who is a "dried-up husk of a woman" and who harbors dangerously modern beliefs about women's independence.

The Film's Comedy Succeeds

The film is significantly more successful when satirizing the oppressive expectations forced upon pre-war females – a subject often mined for self-serious drama. The archetype of idealized ladylike behavior provides the best material for mockery.

The plot, as one would expect from an intentionally ridiculous spoof, takes a back seat to the jokes. The co-writer delivers them maintaining a consistently comedic clip. Included is a murder, an incompetent investigation, and a star-crossed attraction involving the plucky thief Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

The Constraints of Pure Silliness

Everything is for harmless amusement, though that itself comes with constraints. The amplified foolishness inherent to parody may tire over time, and the comic fuel on this particular variety expires somewhere between sketch and feature.

Eventually, you might wish to go back to a realm of (very slight) coherence. Nevertheless, you have to applaud a sincere commitment to this type of comedy. In an age where we might to amuse ourselves to death, we might as well see the funny side.