Ten years ago, the Crawleys of Downton Abbey ended their television days on their sixth season. A few films later, they're finally ready to say goodbye with the aptly named Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. So, what can you expect from the Crawleys this time?
As usual, you can expect a lot.
Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) has finally divorced her husband Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode, who's been absent since the first film). The Crawleys find themselves mostly exiled from high society due to the "scandal." Lady Mary's American uncle Harold (Paul Giamatti, back from season 4's Christmas episode) returns with a new acquaintance, Gus (Alessandro Nivola). According to Harold, Gus saved most of Harold and Countess Cora's (Elizabeth McGovern) late mother's (Shirley MacLaine in the series) wealth from the collapsing stock market. But then Harold squandered it anyway on bad investments. He might, perhaps, get out of debt by investing in Downton.
Meanwhile, Lord Robert (Hugh Bonneville) bequeaths Downton to Mary as he plans to move out. Mary gets tapped to judge at the county fair, much to chairman Sir Hector Moreland's (Simon Russell Beale) objections. Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) is finally ready to retire, for real this time, as the butler. And finally, no less than Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) plans to visit Downton with star Guy Baxter (Dominic West) and his "assistant," Thomas (Robert James-Collier). So, yeah, there's quite a lot to unfurl.
You should probably know what to expect by now. And thankfully, everyone from series creator Jullian Fellowes, composer John Lunn and the technical crew, maintain their consistently excellent work. Its acidic wit is still accounted for, even if Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), is no longer around to deliver it. Its huge ensemble is still compelling, as are their multiple subplots. Its visual splendor is showcased in DP Ben Smithard's long oner, which takes us on a tour across Picadilly Square, all the way to - and around - Coward's Bitter Sweet. This time, it takes quite longer to get to Downton and Lunn's theme. The wait is worth it.
Anything new to expect? Froushan is pretty entertaining and likable as the famously flamboyant Coward. He's especially likable when he recognizes Mr. Moseley (Kevin Doyle) for his screenwriting in the last film and compliments him. It's quite amusing to see Coward's mingling with the Crawleys inspire a few of his future stage hits (Private Lives & Cavalcade). Harold's fine, even sympathetic when he learns that Gus actually scammed him of his wealth. Gus, meanwhile, is initially a charming rogue, but he gradually reveals himself as so detestable that you'll wish for karma yesterday. Even if it only comes in the form of Mary's sister, Marchioness Edith (Laura Carmichael), telling him off.
Its presentation, however, almost derailed the film experience. I don't know why, but two magnetized lines ran down the screen during my showing. It was quite distracting to say the least; fortunately, more than enough of the film made the distortions unnoticeable. A bit more noticeable was the audio mixing problem during the opening. The musical number in Bitter Sweet had its music track overwhelm the vocals exponentially. Shouldn't both tracks be equal? I hope you won't run into any problems like that if you see it.
Anyway, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, gives its cast a good last hurrah. It's still surprising how much information I've retained from the previous films. Indeed, it’s hard to feel nothing during its bittersweet finale, particularly when it focuses on Violet and Dame Maggie. Its calm sea of continuity makes it a surprisingly good introduction to the franchise in case someone decides to start here. They, and those avid fans, will still see the same entertaining costume drama. I'll leave it to you to decide when and where to see it.
The End.
On to the next review.
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