A Look at Fackham Hall – A Rapid-Fire, Funny Downton Abbey Spoof That's Delightfully Throwaway.

Perhaps the sense of end times in the air: following a long period of dormancy, the comedic send-up is enjoying a return. This summer witnessed the rebirth of this lighthearted genre, which, at its best, mocks the self-importance of overly serious dramas with a torrent of pitched clichés, physical comedy, and dumb-brilliant double entendres.

Unserious periods, so it goes, give rise to self-awarely frivolous, joke-dense, refreshingly shallow fun.

The Latest Entry in This Goofy Trend

The newest of these goofy parodies arrives as Fackham Hall, a Downton Abbey spoof that pokes fun at the highly satirizable airs of wealthy UK historical series. The screenplay comes from British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr and directed by Jim O'Hanlon, the feature has plenty of material to draw from and wastes none of it.

From a absurd opening all the way to its ludicrous finish, this entertaining upper-class adventure fills every one of its hour and a half with jokes and bits ranging from the puerile all the way to the genuinely funny.

A Send-Up of Upstairs, Downstairs

Much like Downton, Fackham Hall delivers a pastiche of extremely pompous aristocrats and very obsequious servants. The story centers on the incompetent Lord Davenport (portrayed by a wonderfully pretentious Damian Lewis) and his book-averse wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston). After losing their children in a series of tragic accidents, their aspirations now rest on marrying off their two girls.

The younger daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird), has secured the dynastic aim of betrothal to the right kinsman, Archibald (a perfectly smarmy Tom Felton). But after she pulls out, the pressure transfers to the unmarried elder sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), described as a spinster already and and possesses radically progressive notions regarding a woman's own mind.

Its Comedy Works Best

The film achieves greater effect when sending up the oppressive norms imposed on early 20th-century ladies – a topic typically treated for po-faced melodrama. The trope of respectable, enviable ladylike behavior offers the most fertile comic targets.

The plot, as one would expect from a purposefully absurd parody, is secondary to the gags. The writer serves them up maintaining a consistently comedic rate. Included is a killing, an incompetent investigation, and a forbidden romance between the plucky pickpocket Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) and Rose.

A Note on Lighthearted Fun

It's all in the spirit of playful comedy, however, this approach has limitations. The heightened absurdity characteristic of the genre may tire over time, and the mileage on this particular variety expires in the space between sketch and a full-length film.

At a certain point, one may desire to return to the world of (at least a modicum of) coherence. But, you have to applaud a genuine dedication to the craft. In an age where we might to distract ourselves to death, it's preferable to see the funny side.