Unmasking Fackham Hall: A Riotous Take on British Dramas

The audacious film "Fackham Hall" is a playful satire of the classic British drama genre, formerly known as the Merchant Ivory or "Masterpiece Theatre" genre, now more familiarly referred to as the "Downton Abbey" style. The humor comes to the surface with its less sophisticated characters and Cockney accents, bringing an overall tone that is equal parts childish and amusing.

"Fackham Hall" - with its regal posturing and worn-out prestige - is ripe for parody, considering how many times we've seen this genre played out on the screen. The grandeur of this cinematic genre begs for a dose of jesterly disorder.

Relatively amusing antics unfurl as we enter the gates of Fackham Hall, an absurdly large British mansion in 1931, ruled by the upper-crust Davenport family. An inscription, “Incestus ad Infinitum,” forecasts one of the comical undercurrents of the film - the prevalent practice of upper-class intermarriage, largely aimed at preserving family wealth.

The main plot device rests on the shoulders of the Davenport sisters, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie) and Poppy (Emma Laird) who must marry adequately posh cousins to maintain their lavish lifestyle. Following a sequence resembling the comedic fate of Spinal Tap’s drummers where all Davenport brothers die, Rose is compelled to marry the insipid but wealthy heir, Archibald (Tom Felton), after Poppy flees her wedding.

Much of the humor in "Fackham Hall," expertly directed by Jim O’Hanlon, comes from its sticking rather closely to the genre it's parodying. The tone is so muted, though, that many of the punchlines fail to provoke more than a light chuckle. Memorable moments include Lord Davenport (Damian Lewis) and his clueless entitlement, a hunting party gone awry, cameo appearances by J.R.R. Tolkien (Jason Done), and an entertainingly raunchy song.

While the film doesn't shy away from some adult humor, it handles its jokes with a gentleness that perhaps constrains its comedic potential. It's the movie's fondness for harmless frivolity and gentle humor, however, that spares the esteemed British drama genre from any genuinely scathing ridicule. In spite of this, "Fackham Hall" is an amusing parody that manages to entertain without necessarily eliciting a belly laugh.