Downton Abbey

I never followed the ITV series Downton Abbey in its day. So I went into its film spin-off pretty blind. Avid fans of Julian Fellowes' cast of characters will get more than their money's worth. Everyone else has a lot of reading to do.

As with the series, the film follows the noble Crawley family and their servants who live in the estate of Downton Abbey. Both the upstairs and the downstairs are shocked when King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) come calling. They plan to spend the night at Downton as part of a tour. Celebrations are in order, and through the hectic preparations, come subplots:

The servants are kicked further down by the snobbish Royal Butler Mr. Wilson (David Haig) and the royal staff. They plan to strike back. Servants Daisy (Sophie McShera) and Andy (Michael C. Fox) plan their wedding. Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), gets in an inheritance squabble with another relation, Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton). Retired Downton butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) is called back into service. All cope with the changing times.

Oh yeah, and an assassin comes for the King. But that's resolved by the halfway point.

Did everybody get that?

Michael Engler, who directed the show's finale, among other episodes, handled this movie too. Fellowes, once again, wrote the script. Its first half-hour or so is sure to test the uninitiated. The film's vast ensemble of characters and their issues show up pretty quickly. It's easy to get lost in the unfamiliar territory. Still, there's plenty of humor here, mainly provided by Violet's delightfully acidic wit ("I never argue - I explain."). The overall plot is easy to follow, though. As said before, fans of the show will feel right at home at Downton.

A few more thoughts on the characters. David Haig does a great job at making Mr. Wilson detestable. It's easy to see the servants' frustrations when they have to put up with him. The Royal Chef, Monsieur Courbet (Phillipe Spall), is so pompous he's hilarious. The King and Queen themselves are likable characters, unlike their aforementioned servants. The highlight of the cast, of course, is Violet. Staunton, as Maud, does a good job playing off of her.

A few familiar technical faces return from the show. John Lunn's score, including the show's main theme, sets the film's majestic mood. Production Designer Donal Woods and Costume Designer Anna Robbins create an alluring rendition of 1927 Yorkshire. Among the new technical faces, there's cinematographer Ben Smithard and edtior Mark Day. Whether indoors or out, upstairs or downstairs, the scope of Smithard's work is marvelous. The best edited scene is the dinner scene when Downton servant Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle) accidentally reveals that he and the Downton staff served the King and Queen's latest meal. You can feel the awkward, dreadful silence until Queen Mary genuinely compliments the meal.

Downton Abbey welcomes its fans with open arms. Everyone else needs to get up to speed before or after the movie. It might make some new fans along the way. As for me, I'm now a bit more interested in the show and Fellowes' earlier film Gosford Park. I had a few questions during its 122 minutes. But they're easy to get now that I've read up a bit more on the show.