NickReview for Downton Abbey (2019) Directed by Michael Engler. Starring: Michelle Dockery, Tuppence Middleton, Maggie Smith. IMDB says “The continuing story of the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside in the early 20th century.”
“I don’t argue, I explain…”
When the Downton Abbey film was announced in July 2018, my fiancé immediately texted me and told me not to make plans for September 20th, 2019. I would be busy that day. I didn’t know what was going on until later that day when she explained the Downton Abbey film was coming out and that we had plenty of time for me to watch the entire series to get caught up. As usual, I procrastinated. Big time. To the point where I was up until midnight watching the finale the night before my screening. I should have started sooner. Maybe having the time between the series and the film would have colored my opinion differently. Maybe, for me, there would have been a stronger nostalgia factor. As we filed into the theater, the rows were clamoring with excitement and predictions. Some that came true, most that didn’t. A handful of people were dressed up. I’m not talking fan made shirts or the occasional hat, I’m talking full on costumes and make-up. It was a sight to see and really showed the fandom and cultural presence Downton still has even after ending nearly 4 years ago. I’m not going to lie, I went in with low expectations. I was lukewarm on the series while my fiancé is truly a die-hard fan. As I write this review, she’s “making sure I do this review justice” and spouting off, very impressively, Downton trivia.
Downton Abbey takes place in 1926 Yorkshire, a year after the events of season six. The King and Queen of England are taking a tour of the countryside and have decided to stay with The Crawleys for a day of food and celebration. The staff begins to ramp up with excitement, but the momentum is lost when they’re informed that the royal staff will be taking over and running things. The staff takes matters into their own hands to defend the glory of Downton. Meanwhile, the family drama of the Crawleys continues to play out as we pick up storylines and character arcs from season six. If you’re going into this film with zero knowledge of Downton, you most likely will not enjoy the film. It’s well-paced, gorgeously shot, and the costumes are impeccable, but the lack of knowledge will leave you wondering why characters are the way they are and why is everything such a big deal. The film itself plays like an extended episode of the show, but with a much higher budget and an improved style. There are some gorgeous establishing shots that really set the bar high for future period pieces.
One thing I enjoyed about the film was how it drops you right into the thick of it. There is no pomp and circumstance. There are no grandiose entrances, we’re whisked back into the world of Abbey and we pick up where we left off. It’s like that friend you see once a year. There is no awkwardness or anxiety as to what you’ll talk about; you just hug and the conversation flows. I can’t stand when a film like this reintroduces a character by having them say something off screen and then we cut to a shot of them stepping into the middle of the frame for all to see. We get it.
While the film does a lot of fan service, it falls into the same tropes of the series that preceded it. It follows a similar structure and has the same issues with conflict resolution. I struggled watching the series because some conflicts would become long and drawn out, while other more interesting ones were wrapped up hastily. I understand this is a two-hour movie, which again, is paced very well, and that most of the events need to be wrapped up, but rather than take that extra minute to breathe, they focus on another establishing shot of the landscape or another reminder of where you are. Not necessarily a bad thing because it is such a gorgeous film, I just wish they spent a little more time with the development of the multiple intertwining plots. I wouldn’t be shocked if the film nabs Oscar nominations for costumes/make up and even one for cinematography. The score feels recycled from the show with some light variation and extension, but we hear the same themes and have the Pavlovian response of knowing exactly where the scene is going. Writer/creator Julian Fellowes and director Michael Engler have done a wonderful job bringing this show to the big screen. Despite it’s imperfections, it’s a more capable and enjoyable film that fans will gush over. If you’re not a fan, maybe catch up on the series first, and then catch this one at home.