Downton Abbey: A New Era – A Little Too Much Going On

Despite bowing out in 2015, Downton Abbey remains a worldwide phenomenon. Looking to leverage its characters and world that have resonated with countless viewers, the series returned as a feature film with 2019’s Downton Abbey but now that film has unsurprisingly been followed up with a sequel. Downton Abbey: A New Era does exactly what its subtitle suggests though whether or not that will indeed happen remains to be seen. However, the likelihood of that is pretty high. Fans of the original series will once again be right at home while others, this reviewer included, may see some struggles. Just like the first film, it still does enough to get by in spite of that. Trying to bring something new to the table, the film ventures beyond the familiar confines of Downton in what was a story that went in different directions that in the end, didn’t quite work as well as the original film. Nevertheless, the film still had its moments that are sure to connect with the franchise’s legion of loyal fans.

Downton Abbey: A New Era saw the lords and ladies and the staff of Downton shaken by a revelation from Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Smith). A fling from her past with the Marquis de Montmirail for whom she essentially forgot about, resulted in her inheriting a villa in the south of France. As a group led by Lord Grantham (Bonneville) headed to the south of France to scope out the villa, little did they know, they would find much more. From there, the film saw them uncovering the mystery behind that past which went deeper than what they probably expected and had the potential to impact other characters. Keeping the others busy back at Downton was a director named Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy) who was looking to shoot his latest film at Downton. Giving the people of Downton a glimpse of the future, it also proved to be a distraction that some handled better than others. Each subplot was a disruption to the status quo and some may call a departure be it the culture contrast between England and France or the present and the future with a film crew invading Downton in the midst of the advent of the film industry.

Both those subplots felt like two different films while their combination here wasn’t necessarily seamless as each lacked depth because of the other. The Downtown film was not particularly interesting in that it was simply a means to keep certain characters and Downton itself involved in the story. That being said, there was still some fun to be had. The staff being enamored with the film contingent and the stars behind the production was kind of cute to watch but little did they know, things were not quite what they seemed as the characters they saw on screen weren’t necessarily the same as the actors who played them.

Facing plenty of challenges over the transition from silent films to talkies, some handled it better than others. Watching the production forced to make that transition was somewhat fun to watch, however, sharing that subplot with the other, limiting how far it could go. Ultimately, the bright spot was the blossoming relationship between Barber and Lady Mary (Dockery). Meanwhile, that villa in the south of France came with its own set of issues as Lord Grantham and company were left untangling the Dowager Countess’ past and its relation to a current legal situation regarding ownership of the villa. That past was basically more squandered potential though its ramifications are sure to have a greater impact on those more familiar with the TV series. The present setting was just a means for characters to react to their new environment.

On a technical level, Downton Abbey: A New Era unsurprisingly offers the same production value audiences have come to expect from the costumes, to the production design. The new locale was also a nice departure from the drabness and coldness of the estate by offering a brighter and more lively environment if not briefly. When it came to the performances, they were fine across the board as the chemistry amongst its long-running cast remains strong while Smith delivered plenty of more zingers as the Dowager Countess, perhaps less than expected.

At the end of the day, though not as strong as the original film, Downton Abbey: A New Era still hits the right spot and does enough to get by.

still courtesy of Focus Features

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.