Fackham Hall – This Brisk, Witty Takeoff on Downton Which Is Pleasantly Lightweight.

Maybe the notion of uncertain days in the air: following a long period of inactivity, the spoof is making a comeback. The past few months saw the revival of this playful category, which, in its finest form, lampoons the self-importance of pompously earnest dramas with a torrent of pitched clichés, sight gags, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.

Unserious eras, apparently, beget deliberately shallow, gag-packed, refreshingly shallow amusement.

A Recent Entry in This Absurd Trend

The latest of these goofy parodies comes in the form of Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that needles the highly satirizable pretensions of gilded British period dramas. Penned in part by British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and overseen by Jim O'Hanlon, the film has a wealth of material to mine and uses all of it.

From a ludicrous start to a outrageous finale, this entertaining silver-spoon romp fills every one of its hour and a half with jokes and bits ranging from the puerile to the genuinely funny.

A Mimicry of Upstairs, Downstairs

Similar to Downton, Fackham Hall offers a spoof of very self-important the nobility and overly fawning help. The narrative centers on the hapless Lord Davenport (brought to life by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his literature-hating wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). Having lost their male heirs in a series of calamitous events, their aspirations are pinned on securing unions for their offspring.

The junior daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has achieved the dynastic aim of a promise to marry the right first cousin, Archibald (an impeccably slimy Tom Felton). However after she backs out, the pressure falls upon the single elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a "dried-up husk already and who harbors dangerously modern beliefs regarding women's independence.

Where the Laughs Succeeds

The film achieves greater effect when satirizing the oppressive expectations imposed on pre-war women – a subject typically treated for self-serious drama. The stereotype of proper, coveted ladylike behavior supplies the best comic targets.

The narrative thread, as is fitting for a deliberately silly spoof, is secondary to the gags. Carr delivers them arriving at a consistently comedic clip. There is a homicide, an incompetent investigation, and an illicit love affair between the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Frivolous Amusement

The entire affair is in the spirit of playful comedy, though that itself has limitations. The heightened silliness of a spoof might grate quickly, and the mileage on this particular variety expires at the intersection of a skit and feature.

Eventually, audiences could long to go back to the world of (very slight) coherence. Nevertheless, it's necessary to applaud a genuine dedication to the artform. Given that we are to distract ourselves relentlessly, it's preferable to see the funny side.