As a fan of the long-running BBC series, I must admit I was excited at the news of a Downton Abbey movie. The idea of seeing so many familiar faces again easily brought a smile to my face and the sight of the first trailer even produced a few goosebumps. In hindsight, I should have fully known what to expect from such a project, but my mind raced all over the countryside anyway. As it turns out, Downton Abbey has both everything I could have hoped for and almost nothing new to offer.
If the latter sounds like a snub, I assure you it isn’t meant as one. I didn’t want Downton Abbey to reinvent the wheel by succumbing to overstuffed plot twists, or worse, ill-fitting action. I’m pleased to report that the beloved Crawley’s and their ever-faithful house of maids, butlers, cooks, and valets are exactly as we left them: enjoying life in the esteemed Yorkshire manor. Enthusiasts of the TV show will find nothing offensive, and if newcomers can get past the curve of learning who everyone is and what their roles are, they shouldn’t either.
For better or worse – depending on your take on the television version – Downton Abbey plays like an extended episode of the show with only slightly better production value. Its charm lies more in seeing old friends again than in the details of the plot (and let’s not forget those amazing costumes). Everyone in the very large cast gets a turn in the spotlight but, naturally, it’s Maggie Smith who steals the show. As the elderly matriarch of the Crawley family, Smith gets in more sarcastic jabs than usual with the benefit of an extended run time, proving once again that she is a force to be reckoned with and a treasure to behold.
As the film progresses, we’re treated to a good number of storylines that all converge on a visit to Downton by the King and Queen (Simon Jones and Geraldine James). Of note is a mystery involving former Irish rebel Tom Branson (Allen Leech) and an attempt at regicide, but most compelling is the subplot concerning Downton’s misunderstood former villain. The arc of Mr. Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) finally gets a well-deserved glimmer of hope after a scandalous rendezvous at an illegal gathering of like-minded men (audible gasps filled the theater as the story unfolded).
Along with Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), Barrow is a wonderful example of a long-suffering tragedy brought on by an uncaring and unchanging world not ready for new ideas or new ways of life. I mention this because the world of the Crawleys and their employees, while resistant to the changing world, must eventually do so. Theirs is a dying way of life – as pointed out by many throughout the television run. What’s interesting is that, even though many recognize the unavoidable changes in lifestyle that are sure to come, none know how to implement them.
The film ends on a note of optimism for the future and the maintenance of the way things are and have always been, but historically the crash of ‘29 is right around the corner – and it is exactly that fact which keeps my fingers crossed for at least one more Downton Abbey movie down the road.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.