DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Simon Curtis
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Paul Giamatti, Alessandro Nivola, Jim Carter, Dominic West, Kevin Doyle, Sophie McShera, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nichol, Simon Russell Beale, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Robert James-Collier, Laura Carmichael, Raquel Cassidy, Paul Copely, Michael Fox, Henry Hadden-Paton, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Douglas Reith, Arty Froushan, Joely Richardson.
Downton Abbey was a successful television series created by Julian Fellowes and basically came across as an updated and lavish variation of the classic 70s tv series Upstairs Downstairs. Downton Abbey centred around the Cawley family who lived in the grand sprawling manor, and it explored themes of class in England between the two world wars. The series ran from 2010 to 2015, and it yielded two feature film spinoffs. This is the third and supposedly final film for the franchise and it works well as a stand-alone feature that brings the saga to a satisfying close after some fifteen years.
Robert Cawley (Hugh Bonneville) is still grieving the death of his beloved mother and formidable family matriarch Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) and is having to decide how best to hand of the reins of managing the vast estate to his oldest daughter Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery). But Mary is embroiled in scandal as she has recently divorced her husband and has been shunned by the upper echelons of London society. However, the staff of Downton Abbey conspire to find a way to rehabilitate her reputation. The local county fair may provide the answer if Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) can overcome the objections of Sir Hector Moreland (Simon Russell Beale), the stuffy and humourless chair of the planning committee.
Long time butler Mr Carson (Jim Carter) is retiring and planning on handing over his duties to his young protégé Tom (Allen Leech), although he finds it hard to let go. And head cook Mrs Patman (Lesley Nichol) is also retiring and is handing over her role to the eager and efficient Daisy (Sophie McShera).
Meanwhile Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) prepares to meet her brother Harry Levinson (Paul Giamatti) who is visiting from America after the death of their mother. He brings some troubling news regarding the family finances. Harry has gotten involved with the suave and smooth-talking financial advisor Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), but he has squandered much of the fortune on bad investments just as the financial markets collapsed.
And actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West), who starred in a film that was shot at Downton Abbey in the previous film, comes to visit, accompanied by his secret lover Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), the former butler. They are accompanied by noted playwright and composer Noel Coward (Arty Froushan, from tv series Carnival Row, etc), who unexpectedly finds the inspiration for his next play and its title Private Lives from a remark made by Joseph Moseley (Kevin Doyle), the former school master who wrote the script for Dexter’s film.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is an old-fashioned period drama that looks at the changing nature of society in which the old traditions are slowly giving way to new and progressive ideas as the older generation make way for the younger generation. The family and their loyal staff confront change and some personal conflicts in the early 1930s. Regular scribe Fellowes has given us a huge cast of characters and plenty of engaging subplots, and he and returning director Simon Curtis ensure that they are all given ample screentime. His pacing is unhurried, giving audiences time to soak up the details and the film has a wistful tone. Fellowes has also injected generous doses of humour into the material which lightens the drama. And the filmmakers have found a nice way to pay tribute to the late Maggie Smith, who was a mainstay of the series.
The performances of the ensemble cast are all solid. The film is a glossy looking production with superb production values and authentic looking period details and costumes. The film has been nicely shot by cinematographer Ben Smithard (Blinded BY The Light, etc).
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale provides a sense of closure to the series and is a fine send off for the period drama that will more than satisfy fans.
★★★☆
