The British series Downton Abbey ran for six seasons and became something of a worldwide phenomenon, captivating viewers with its decades-spanning story intertwining the lives of a seemingly wealthy family and their servants living on a large estate. Over the years, many stories and plotlines developed. Some were filled with happiness, others with tragedy and several including a combination of both. Eventually, the cast and crew tied up loose ends for good in a grandiose finale. But as we all know, a franchise this successful is often never truly over.
Indeed, the original creator and cast are back for a film adaptation that continues to chronicle the characters, or at least give viewers a taste of what has occurred since the finale. Admittedly, the show ended on a complete note, leaving one to wonder if any new drama or interest could be established over two hours. Surprisingly, the answer is yes. While I can’t imagine anyone coming in cold and finding themselves engrossed (they’ll have a difficult enough time just sorting out who is who and how they relate to one another), it does succeed. The movie does require time early on to find its footing, but once it introduces conflict, it delivers plenty of fun that will please fans of the show and even give a few updates and bits of extra closure to some of the characters living on the property.
Set only a couple of years after the end of the series, the story begins with Earl of Grantham Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) receiving a letter from Buckingham Palace. It informs them that King George V and Queen Mary are undertaking a Royal tour and will be visiting Downtown Abbey. This sends the house in a tizzy as arrangements must be made to prepare for a celebration. It forces the family (who are still struggling with failing finances and the fall of the aristocracy) to contend with an estranged family relation with ties to the Queen, Lady Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton). Additionally, a mysterious figure with an unknown agenda arrives, and the servants must endure the King’s snobbish and nasty Royal Staff.
As mentioned, it all seemed a bit awkward early on, simply because it requires some time to create and develop new concerns and conflicts between the characters. But once the Royal Staff arrives and the characters are trading barbs, the movie begins to really get cooking. There are a great number of characters to cover, but the movie manages to move between them quickly and efficiently. Thankfully, just about everyone gets a moment or two to shine and make an impression onscreen amidst the hectic schedule of events, particularly when the staff conspire to wrestle control of the household back from the King’s interlopers.
Most of the Crawleys become caught up in the Bagshaw subplot and are forced into dealing with financial matters, allowing for some effective verbal jabs between family matriarch Violet (Maggie Smith) and…. well… just about everyone else around her. However, a few less showy characters do get a little more screen time in this follow-up. Tom Branson (Allen Leech) is given more to do this time out, as the Irishman struggles with his feelings about hosting the royal family and catches the attention of a few visitors. The plight of butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) is also examined in more detail and there’s some great comic relief from schoolteacher and occasional footman Molesley (Kevin Doyle) who probably gets the film’s biggest laugh thanks to an incredibly awkward exchange at the big dinner.
The technical specs are quite good as well, with some wider aerial shots of the grounds and widescreen photography adding extra scope to the proceedings. And of course, the elaborate manor sets and period costuming is impressive to behold. However, if one isn’t familiar with the television series, this movie isn’t likely to convert them. But for a movie that didn’t initially seem like it needed to be made at all, it does recapture the ambiance of the original show and manages to elicit the same kind of feelings and emotions fans will have experienced during its original run. As such, Downton Abbey remains an entertaining and nostalgic trip.