Downton Abbey: A New Era is more of a reunion movie and less a continuing saga of the Crawleys, the upper class British family. This TV family toiled in Downton Abbey for six seasons. Like in the first movie, the conflicts the aristocratic Crawleys face in A New Era aren’t as challenging as the predicaments they found themselves in during the show’s six-year run.
In the original show, much of the plot revolved around the way the Crawleys coped with world events. These were the sinking of the Titanic, the First World War, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the looming extinction of the family’s extravagant way of life. Indeed, giving up one’s valet or personal maid who helps one get properly dressed for dinner in one’s own home threatened to become a painful reality.
Set in 1928, A New Era also highlights a major episode in history though it isn’t as earth-shattering as a world war. Nevertheless, it still affects the Abbey in a surprising way. It’s the transition of the film industry—from silent “moving pictures” to talkies. Yes, you read that right and it’s an intriguing and somewhat fun premise. A movie director (played by Hugh Dancy) has sought permission to use the Abbey to film his latest production.
At first, the Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) is reluctant to allow it. His snobbery of entertainers remains strong. But oldest daughter Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) persuades him to acquiesce. The roof of the house needs to be fixed and the fee from the film company would pay for the repairs.
Another “crisis” happens when the earl’s mother, the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith), learns that she has inherited a magnificent villa in the south of France. Its late owner, a marquess Violet had met in 1865, had been in love with her. Violet is now too frail to travel so it is Robert and his family who journey to France to claim the villa.
Meanwhile, Mary is left in the Abbey to watch over the filmmakers. What happens there is just a stiff-upper lip redo of Singin’ in the Rain. Talkies have become a hit so the film-within-the film must be turned into a talkie. The problem is the diva leading lady (played by Laura Haddock) happens to be Downton’s Abbey’s resident Lena Lamont, meaning, her speaking voice and accent won’t cut it. This storyline isn’t original and it’s nowhere near as funny as that classic musical. Julian Fellows, the genius who created the series and wrote this film, perhaps chose to maintain a sense of dignity in his film. Thus slapstick and camp are strictly prohibited.
Robert Crawley comes to realize that all this time, he may not have been the rightful heir to the Abbey
Across the channel in France, the Crawleys face opposition from the marquess’ widow played by Nathalie Baye (she played Leonardo DiCaprio’s mother in Catch Me if You Can). She’s bent on contesting her late husband’s will. It’s just another problem the Crawleys won’t lose sleep over. Yet Robert Crawley comes to realize that all this time, he may not have been the rightful heir to the Abbey. He suspects his mother Violet may have gone astray nine months before his birth.
Two hours just isn’t enough to make a compelling Downton Abbey movie. The original episodes had the luxury of eight episodes per season to effectively develop a romance that can make audiences swoon. Or create a crisis that could make us worry over Crawley’s valet or Countess Cora Crawley’s (Elizabeth McGovern) personal maid.
In this movie, issues are effortlessly resolved. Even the ill-mannered blonde movie star easily turns into a fair lady at the end. We missed the sibling rivalry between Mary and Edith (Laura Carmichael), and the bickering of Violet and Lady Isobel Merton (Penelope Wilton). The current butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) was the show’s version of Joan Collins but he’s more sympathetic now. He’s literally swept away by the Hollywood leading man (Dominic West) filming at the Abbey. The Crawleys were probably the most woke family of the 1920s so concerns about propriety and proper behavior are now minimal. And hence the tolerance toward their butler’s happy ending
But it does feel wonderful to catch up with these characters. We’re relieved to see them living happily ever after in such beautiful settings, with all the original actors playing them so perfectly. Jim Carter as the retired butler Mr. Carson brings back some of the show’s old verve if only for a moment. A much bigger snob then his former employer and an even bigger stickler to tradition, he‘s enraged at the mere thought of the Abbey being littered with movie people. The Crawleys have submitted to mob rule, he declares in his booming and intimidating voice.
In contrast, much of the other cast members are just there to react amusingly to the proceedings, notably Imelda Stanton, who plays Violet’s cousin, Lady Bagshaw.
Like the series, this movie is handsomely mounted. Such glorious outdoor scenery and impeccably designed sets make this movie such a breathtaking escape. Rest assured they don’t distract us from the lighthearted plot. The attractive period costumes also don’t overwhelm the actors wearing them.
A wedding and a funeral do occur. The film begins with Tom Branson (Allen Leach), the widowed son-in-law of Robert Crawley, being wed to Lucy Smith (played by the actress with such a pretty name, Tuppence Middleton). She’s the illegitimate daughter of Lady Bagshaw with whom Tom had an all-too quick romance in the first film. The wedding, however, is an ideal occasion to begin a reunion between the show’s avid fans and Julian Fellows’ characters.
The funeral at the end is also a common affair for numerous family reunions and this one can’t get any more emotional. It marks the end of an era and the beginning of the next. We’re not mentioning the name of the casket’s occupant, even if you probably have guessed it already.
Credit: Focus Features/YouTube
Read more:
Downton Abbey: Exquisitely written, the series takes your breath away
