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When creator Julian Fellows first wrote Downton Abbey, I doubt that even he thought that it would become the international hit it has become.
First appearing in 2011 the show introduced us to the English aristocratic Crawley family of the fictional Downton Abbey, ladies Mary, Edith, and Sybil led by their mother Cora, and patriarch Robert. While their servants, led by their faithful butler Carson, ran things downstairs.
After six seasons, five Christmas specials, and three big-budget movies, the series is finally over, and despite going on for longer than it should have, the movie leaves fans with the closure they need.
The film is best described as a two-hour-long episode that packs in extra subplots to pad out the run time.
It picks up two years after the previous movie, A New Era ended. Downton Abby: The Grand Finale is set in 1930, and the characters face new challenges and chapters in their lives. Mary faces the consequences of divorce (a very big deal at the time), Robert has trouble letting go of the past, and Cora’s brother visits England with some very bad news for her.
Those are the major plots, but there are several smaller ones that I feel detract from them. As I mentioned earlier, it includes extra content to meet the runtime requirements.
With so much going on, it is easy to forget the real star of the film is the location itself. Highclere Castle, the stand-in for Downton Abbey, is magnificent, and the sheer spectacle of it all will draw you into the Crawleys’ world and will make you believe that you really have stepped back in time.
While long-time fans will love it, there’s nothing here that will grow the fandom. This really was for the fans. The acting is superb, but the loss of Maggie Smith’s sharp wit does hurt the film a little. Although having Paul Giamatti does make up for it a little.
By the time the credits rolled, I was left satisfied, knowing that the Crawleys’ story was complete.
