Review of Downton Abbey (2019) by Fxo — 24 Sep 2019

As a big fan of "Downton Abbey", I expected to like this movie and did. The characters are all so familiar and so well-written it felt like I was returning to my old neighborhood where friends and acquaintances abounded, and we picked up right where we left off. Nevertheless, the way the movie was written and directed, I do believe it stands on its own merits for anyone unfamiliar with the series. Might even pique their interest in some of the back stories.

There were times when the plot dragged a little and slowed, but that can happen in any movie, and it happened with the TV program at times as well. Or perhaps the story's exposition seemed to unfold slowly because of our society's penchant for immediate responses, constant updates and instant gratification. Story-telling by its very nature sometimes requires more time and attention than a text or email.

The cast were all in fine form. Maggie Smith had more delicious bon mots than usual. With Penelope Wilton in equally good form, the repartee between the two was as delight as ever. Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary is a standout and more than up to the task of what may be expected from her in future movies. True, there were a good number of subplots but I enjoyed them all. After all, everyone's real life has multiple subplots...ones of which we are aware and ones of which we are not. The difference is that in the movie, we are aware of them all and Julian does a masterful job at tying them together. These include Branson (with Allen Leech looking trimmer which becomes him) involved in a couple of subplots and Rob James-Collier's Barrow being humanized more, helping us to understand him better. Oddly enough, my biggest complaint was the larger budget. I know this was the King and Queen of England visiting and the money was well spent, but for me it detracted from the story-telling. This is such a well-written and developed plot, it did not need the excess.

Must end this review on a positive note. Although there were no "cliffhangers" (I detest those), there were a number of plot developments which set the stage quite neatly for future productions and I am looking forward to the next movie. Well done Julian, and to all the cast and crew. You've done another masterful job in bringing to life a bygone era while making the characters seem real and as fresh as if it all happened yesterday.