Directed by Michael Engler
Written by Julian Fellowes
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Allen Leech, Jim Carter, Robert James-Collier, Phyllis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt, Lesley Nicol, Kevin Doyle, Sophie McShera, Raquel Cassidy, Michael Fox, Matthew Goode, Harry Hadden-Paton, Douglas Reith, Geraldine James, Simon Jones, Max Brown, David Haig, Richenda Carey, Tuppence Middleton, Stephen Campbell Moore, Kate Phillips, Philippe Spall, Imelda Staunton, Mark Addy
Soundtrack: John Lunn
Whoa.
The last time I did this much research ahead of seeing a film was way back in 2015 when I watched every Bond movie ever before seeing SPECTRE (which unfortunately turned out to be a damp squib of a film).
You see, I’m a newcomer to Downton Abbey, but, not one to turn down a binging challenge, I decided to watch every episode in the span of three weeks to prepare myself for the big screen affair.
Was it worth it? For me, yes it was. After all, I’m no stranger to British period television (I’ve seen every last episode of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, with which Downton overlaps a bit), so I enjoyed the show rather thoroughly.
For those who are totally uninitiated, Downton Abbey is a soap opera (an extremely well-polished one, but a soap opera nonetheless), created by writer Julian Fellowes, that follows the upper class family and working class service staff of a fictional Yorkshire estate, and all the day-to-day affairs and lively drama that goes on inside the halls of such a great house. Just to give one example, the first season (or should I say series?) begins with news of the Titanic sinking in 1912, and ends with news of Britain declaring war on Germany in 1914.
But what about the movie?
Well, if you’ve never seen the show, even with a substantial primer on all the major twists and turns throughout the years, I’m not sure you’ll get much out of it, as the film isn’t much more than a two-hour television episode; and for Downton fans, it’s a bit like going out for ice cream after dinner: you won’t get much nutritional value out of it, but it’s a nice treat nonetheless.
The only major issues I have are twofold. For one, there wasn’t anything cinematically that made me think, “Ah-ha, THIS is why they put it on the big screen,” which is more a testament to how far television has come visually compared to movies in the past twenty years or so, but still. And, secondly, the writing feels awfully constrained by the two-hour time limit.
Beyond that, as I said, it’s a nice treat getting to see your favorite (favourite?) characters and the house again after a bit of an absence.
So, in short, if you’re not a Downton fan, don’t feel like you’re missing out, and if you are a fan, go enjoy yourself; just don’t expect too much.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)
P.S.
If you want to see some proto-Downton, check out 2001’s Gosford Park (though be warned, it’s a bit darker and a bit more crass), which was also written by Julian Fellowes and also stars Dame Maggie Smith as a Dowager Countess, as well as a couple of other familiar Downton faces (in fact, Downton was originally meant to be a spin-off of Gosford).