Plot: What’s it about?
I’m guilty of judging a book by its cover or, as the case may be, a movie by it’s Blu-ray case. At first glance I checked the cover of Fackham Hall, which was one of a stack of movies I’d received that day. I saw and recognized Damian Lewis of Band of Brothers and Billions fame (to name a few). OK, interesting. I then moved on, but something caught my eye…yep, that’s an upside down deer in the air over the building. And a panda on the other side. And two guys wrestling. This made me stop and look at it more and even read the back cover. I was sold. So what I thought was some other knockoff of Downton Abbey (which, in a way, this is) but it’s one that’s a spoof of the entire genre. Think of it as Scary Movie…for British humour (note use of “ou” spelling in the word). I was excited to watch this. See? Judging things by their appearance can sometimes be good.
The film takes place in the titular estate (Fackham Hall) where we meet the wealthy Davenport family. It’s led by Lord and Lady Davenport (Damian Lewis and Katherine Waterson respectfully) and are in danger of losing said mansion unless their daughter, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie) agrees to marry her obnoxious cousin – Archibald (Tom Felton). Given that the sign above the estate reads “Incestus Ad Infinitem” it seems that this might happen after all. There’s a wrinkle, of course, in that Rose is really in love with Eric (Ben Radcliffe), a thief who’s capable of removing a man’s pants without him even knowing. And, in a nutshell, that’s it. Most of the movie is devoted to making fun of Downton Abbey and it does it well. Take that!
Admittedly, I’ve never been a fan of British humor (sorry, I went back to the proper spelling this time) but when it’s done like this then I’ve got no problem with it. When a routing hunting expedition shows animals in increasing size coming out of the sky or the perpetual mispronunciation of one character’s name is a running gag, I’d say they’re onto something. Add to that, the cast is top notch. It’s nice to see some well-known names not take themselves too seriously. If the British would make more films like this, I’d like them more. As for me, this might be one of the funnier movies I’ve seen in quite some time. And that’s good, as I love to laugh. You will, too.
Video: How’s it look?
I’m willing to give this one a pass on the visuals, and don’t get me wrong – it does look great, but films that rely on a lot of visual gags generally aren’t going to have me scouring every square inch (oops, I mean centimeter, since we’re dealing with the Brits) of the screen. But, if I must, all the traditional caveats apply. We’ve got a good-looking 2.39:1 AVC HD encode that’s tack sharp, complete with some amazing contrast and strong black levels. Flesh tones appear warm and natural, maybe a bit “too” natural in some scenes if you get me. You don’t? Well fine, then. Suffice it to say that this isn’t one that doesn’t need to look good, but does.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The DTS HD Master Audio mix is a standard affair as well. It more than serves its purpose, and has a few scenes that stand out (mainly the physical gags). But, by and large, this one is all about the dialogue and it manages to pull that off very nicely. Vocals are sharp and well defined lacking any distortion. The front stage handles the lion’s share of the mix and with surrounds chiming in during a few key sequences – the result is a rather pleasing mix. Delightful.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Deleted Scenes – There are several included, totaling just over 11 minutes. Why these weren’t included is beyond me. Enjoy.
- A Big Splash
- A Broiled Oyster
- Reviving Patricia
- Amphetamines
- Bollocks for Eyeballs
- Have You Seen Bert?
- She’s Teasing You, Archie
- Act Like an Object
- His Balls are Exquisite
- Kinky Sex
- Pub Song
- How to Murder People
- There’s A Letter For You, Sir
- Book of Manors
- An Evening Stroll
The Bottom Line
If not for my keen eye, I’d have missed this one. No telling how many other unopened discs I’ve got out there that warrant a viewing. Fackham Hall manages to poke fun at an entire genre in an Airplane! style spoof that makes 97 minutes fly by. Recommended.
