A sweet return, but nothing special
Film critic Jason Evans is on a mission to tell you
everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to curtsy
to your Lord or Lady. His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 would be too
sparse and 101 is excessive). Here is his 100-word review of Downton Abbey: A
New Era.
The Premise: This film is really two separate stories. One
plot is the mystery of why a French nobleman has gifted a huge seaside villa to
the Dowager Countess, Violet Crawley (Dame Maggie Smith), when they have not
seen each other in decades. Several members of the family go to the South of
France to figure things out. The other story involves a movie being shot at
Downton. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) finds herself interested in the way movies
are made and in the film’s dapper director (Hugh Dancy). Meanwhile, the
downstairs staff is completely star struck by the Hollywood celebrities in
their midst. Also, a warning, you must be a fan of the TV show to even consider
watching this movie as no effort is taken to introduce the uninitiated to the
many characters and their various relationships. The screenplay is written by
longtime Downton showrunner Julian Fellowes.
The 100 Words: Like snuggling up in a familiar blanket, this
movie is all about feeling comfortable and content. The script starts out a bit
slow but builds to a satisfying and emotional finish in the back half. There is
little that is truly surprising or risky here and pretty much everyone gets a resolution
that will leave fans smiling. I suppose that’s fine, but I felt like I was
watching a good, but not great, episode or two of the beloved TV show. And now
that we have given fans everything they want, maybe it is time to bid farewell to Downton.
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