I’m not a big cinema expert or critic and as a result, I don’t do a lot on movies. However, motion pictures are supposed to be, in the end, telling a story, and when the story is told well, I have immense appreciation. I went to this movie with a lot of anticipation.
Since the PBS TV series ended in 2015, there has been a 2019 Downton Abbey motion picture and now this 2022 sequel aptly named Downton Abbey: A New Era.
All the period costumes were there as well as Highclere Castle, and I have to say, getting the same entourage of actors and actresses like this to come together for two movies to reprise their characters is a feat that you rarely see.
…it appears like everything was written to be buttoned up and given a shave and a haircut…
The major storyline was interesting with Grandmama’s (Maggie Smith) ancient past being revealed through an executed will of a former love interest and its impact on Lord Grantham. While that was front burner, there were a lot of other subplots that could have been pursued too, but it’s difficult to do without risking a three-plus hour final cut.
That’s the advantage that the TV series had over the movie formats. Each installment of the TV show could concentrate and develop some of the intriguing subplots as long as they were that…intriguing.
The motion picture format doesn’t necessarily have that luxury given the number of great characters and their backstories.
This seemed to me to be a true sign-off movie. I won’t spoil any endings, but it appears like everything was written to be buttoned up and given a shave and a haircut to send this storyline into the sunset.
I don’t consider myself a dark person, but the ending seemed a little too happy ending-ish. A touch more reality and a few loose ends are instruments of play for the imagination and to consider the possibilities beyond the end, even if there’s no sequel.
I do still have a tremendous amount of respect for how the creators and producers have treated this story in many ways.
While the story seemed a little too intent on giving fans a satisfying ending for their favorite characters, this was an admirable effort…
The Brits have a way of constructing a great story without always having to throw in explosions, sex, or some special effects to prop up what’s lacking in the story. That’s pretty much the default from most Hollywood productions.
The Downton TV series was an ITV/ PBS Masterpiece product. The two Downton movies were a collaboration of Carnival in association with Focus Features and I hope there will be some similar quality storytelling from them in the future.
It is truly difficult to keep the bar at a high quality level and the cast intact over the many years and different productions. While the story seemed a little too intent on giving fans a satisfying ending for their favorite characters, this was an admirable effort, a high value production…from the cinematography, music, to the historical detail.
While it lacks a bit of the natural pacing the first movie had as the story unfolded, I would still recommend it, especially to fans of the series. It’s not necessarily a stand alone movie, so if you haven’t watched the first movie or the series, you will get lost pretty easily. Otherwise, it was a nice escape. It’s a quality swan song to the Downton journey.
By the way if you are looking for some Downton extras, the link below is a series of “Fireside Chats” with the show’s creator/writer Julian Fellowes. He discusses a number of different angles of the Downton story with some of its major players.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FIRESIDE CHATS
Or if you’re up for a game…below is sort of a fun “guess who said this memorable line” challenge played by three of the stars.
Steve Linscomb is a former television news reporter with more than 25 years experience in a number of small and large U.S. TV markets. His focus is in the development of the craft of fiction writing, more specifically historical fiction in both reading and in his current personal writing efforts.
He lives in San Antonio, Texas.
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