In an era seemingly defined by end times, the cinematic spoof is staging a remarkable comeback. The latest entry into this resurgent genre is Fackham Hall, a gleeful and joke-dense parody of the gilded world of British period dramas, specifically taking aim at the likes of Downton Abbey.
A Silver-Spoon Romp Through Aristocratic Absurdity
Premiering on a day of surreal real-world headlines, Fackham Hall wastes no time in skewering the pokeable pretensions of upstairs-downstairs sagas. Written by comedian Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the film packs its 97-minute runtime with a relentless barrage of gags, ranging from the puerile to the genuinely clever.
The plot centres on the feckless Lord and Lady Davenport, played with enjoyable affectation by Damian Lewis and Katherine Waterston. Having lost their four sons, their hopes rest on marrying off their daughters to suitable cousins to keep the estate in family hands. Their eldest, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), is considered a 'dried-up husk' at 23 for her scandalous belief in female autonomy and love of reading.
Carr's script proves more adept at joking about the suffocating expectations of early 20th-century women than his recent controversial stand-up. The arrival of a plucky orphan, Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe), sent to deliver a mysterious letter, inevitably collides with Rose's rebellion, setting the stage for forbidden romance and aristocratic panic.
Commitment to the Bit in a Throwaway Package
As with any dedicated spoof, the plot is secondary to the bits. The film delivers a solid clip of amiably humorous moments, including a murder mystery with an incompetent investigation, pratfalls, and spoof-staple wordplay. A highlight involves an investigator announcing, 'I'm here for the murder,' only for the butler to reply, 'I'm afraid someone's already done it! But come in anyway.'
The cast is uniformly game. Lewis hams it up delightfully, McKenzie and Radcliffe strike a perfect balance between bumbling and beguiling, and Tom Felton is perfectly smarmy as the intended cousin, Archibald. The film benefits from their commitment to the intentionally ridiculous tone.
The Limits of Lighthearted Fun
However, the very nature of the spoof genre imposes its own limitations. The dialled-up silliness, while initially refreshing, can wear thin over a feature-length run, leaving audiences wishing for a return to the world of slight reason somewhere between a sketch and a full movie.
Yet, Fackham Hall succeeds as a sincere commitment to its artform. In unserious times, it offers knowingly unserious, joke-dense, and refreshingly shallow fun. It proves there is still life in the eat-the-rich satire, even if the mileage varies. The film is a throwaway good time that doesn't outstay its welcome.
Fackham Hall is out in US cinemas now, arrives in the UK on 12 December, and will open in Australia on 19 February.
