Respond to these rapid questions in our Downton Abbey quiz and we will tell you which Downton Abbey character you are. Play it now.
The star rating at the top of this review is not intended for people who dislike “Downton Abbey,” have never watched it, or who became bored with it long before the show’s six-season run was completed. Those who watch it will give it a two-star rating, a one-star rating, or no star rating. The rating is for die-hards, who will make up the majority of viewers for this big-screen conclusion to the Julian Fellowes drama about nobles and servants in an early-20th century English manor, which will air on the BBC. In addition, the rating is intended for fans of a specific sub-genre of film and television: lavishly produced costume dramas about repressed people who, when pushed to the edge of propriety, might let loose with a bitchy remark now and then—or if, like Violet the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), they’re too old, tough, and set in their ways to care what anyone else thinks of them.
Finally, the rating is intended for the types of viewers who, I believe, will help to turn this film into an unexpected hit: those who may not feel obligated to leave their homes to watch blockbusters featuring dinosaurs, robots, superheroes, or Jedi knights, but who will travel a considerable distance to see a film in which well-dressed, reasonably thoughtful adults do and say grownup things in appropriate settings. The aforementioned adults inhabit a story that is set in a world that is somewhat reminiscent of reality, complete with banquets, dances, familial intrigue, gown fittings, chaste flirtations, declarations of love, and expertly timed reaction shots of characters silently disapproving of one another. In contrast to the Method masochism and “eat this bowl of chaff, it’s good for you” bombast that has become increasingly associated with Hollywood’s Oscar bait, the film avoids these elements.
The characters in the film version of “Downton Abbey” number approximately four dozen major and minor characters, who include both nobility and servants, and they bustle about the screen for two hours, plotting and executing grand schemes and spitting juicy bits of gossip, but they are mostly concerned with the little details: arranging plates, glasses, and stemware; repairing a broken boiler; and completely altering a dress in a few hours. After midnight, they venture out into pouring rain to erect metal chairs for the town’s residents who are expected to gather the following morning to witness the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary, who are scheduled to dine at Downton Abbey the following day.
This is far from a perfect film; it feels a little rushed and thin at times, and a couple of pivotal moments are thrown out the window entirely. There’s enough story for another season of “Deadwood,” as noted in the recent “Deadwood” wrap-up feature, with the majority of it being articulated in relatively brief scenes (some lasting as little as 15 seconds). The approach has the feel of a light comedy from the golden age of Hollywood. The viewer only gets to stick their toes into situations that would otherwise be covered in detail in an hour-long drama. Nonetheless, it is effective. It is extremely effective. It’s good-natured and clever, and it knows when to put an end to things.
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What information do you require in addition to that? Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is still concerned that Downton will be unable to survive in a more frugal era, one in which grand displays of wealth are frowned upon. (There is a passing mention of the General Strike of 1926, but only in the context of the inconvenience and crankiness it caused the characters.) Carson (Jim Carter), the former butler, is forced out of retirement to take charge of the estate in advance of the royal visit thanks to a plot device. An undercurrent of conflict between imperial England and Northern Ireland is depicted by Allen Leach’s Tom Branson, the former chauffeur, current estate manager, and staunch Irish socialist; another revolves around Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), the repressed gay first footman who later rose through the ranks to become head valet, under-butler, and finally butler (replacing Carson).
There’s also an inheritance plotline that serves primarily as an excuse to pit Maggie Smith against Imelda Staunton, another great English character actress. The latter portrays Lady Maud Bagshaw, a baroness whose father was Robert Crawley’s great-uncle, and the former portrays Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville). Maud has inherited the “Granby Estate,” which was once owned by the Crawleys, and is considering entrusting it to her servant, Lucy Smith, as a bequest (Tuppence Middleton). Scandalous!
Downton Abbey Quiz
The original television series—and now its big-screen continuation—have gotten a lot of attention, with many critics claiming that the show’s main appeals are nostalgia for monarchy, rigid class hierarchy, and gross colonial expropriation of resources and wealth. That is correct insofar as it pertains to the situation. The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) was responsible for the success of “Downton Abbey” in the United States. Without Anglophilia, that network would not have existed. Something a little unsettling (though understandable, in a Freudian sense) about the continuing desire to fetishize a former mother country that the rebel child rejected 250 years earlier is worth noting. However, the storytellers don’t exactly turn over rocks to see if there are any bugs lurking beneath the surface of the water in this tale of entitlement. There is a “have it both ways” element to this story, as there is in most stories set among the wealthy in another era. People would be at home watching a film by Mike Leigh or Ken Loach if they really wanted to see criticism of the rich and the social system that allows them to get away with it, as the script is dense with it. Rather than the actors, a movie like this is more about their costumes, their footmen, their waistcoat hats, and the gleam of silver bells.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Downton Abbey quiz.
But I’d argue that there’s something else going on besides wealth porn when an audience embraces this type of film in 2019, a year defined by films like “Avengers: Endgame,” “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker,” “Toy Story 4,” “Joker,” “Fast and the Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” and others of a similar nature. Television shows and films such as “Downton Abbey” are a different kind of franchise product. The opportunity to watch people who are exceptionally skilled at ordinary, non-lethal tasks perform those tasks with skill and imagination, even when they don’t feel like it, is another definition of action cinema that is becoming increasingly underserved by theatrical films.
You can tell from the opening credits sequence of this film, which was written by Fellowes and unfussily directed by Michael Engler (an American, thank you very much!) that you’re in for a unique and unforgettable experience. It keeps track of the delivery of a letter informing the public of the royal couple’s visit. When the envelope is delivered by train, mail truck, and motorcycle to the hands of the staff member who has been authorized to open and read it, it is considered to have arrived in good condition. The ringing of the bell by the messenger results in a familiar closeup of the wall of bells in the kitchen, which we’ve seen numerous times throughout the show’s running time. Every element that you anticipate seeing is present. The film is aware of what it is and is at the top of its game. Everything is exactly as it should be.
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Not convinced that this type of film is inherently less populist than any of the other types I’ve mentioned, or inherently less “authentic” or appealing, or that it is somehow worse for you, or that the pleasures it promises and delivers are any less genuine than any of the others I’ve mentioned. I admit that this film brought back memories of domestic comedy-drama classics like “Moonstruck,” “Once Around,” and “The Wedding Banquet,” which knew how to get laughs from a brief reaction shot of someone raising an eyebrow or looking confused; and Merchant-Ivory adaptations like “Howards End” and “A Room with a View,” which were thoughtfully written, directed, and performed but weren’t attempting to reinvent the wheel.
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The latter became synonymous with posh piffle, and it was considered uncool to admit to enjoying them for a long time after that. However, what they delivered were stories about plausible human beings whose relationships were frequently marked by the decision not to say something in certain situations. This is also a legitimate form of commercial cinema in its own right. Remembering that the entertainment industry can be successful and popular may not be the worst thing for the industry.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Lego Movie 2 Quiz.
