Downton Abbey 2019
After hearing for years how many people loved the PBS series Downton Abbey, I finally started watching and eventually watched it to the end. I wasn’t crazy about the soap opera aspects, but I enjoyed seeing the historical angle of whatever was going on at the time, and you do get invested in the characters and want to see what happens to all of them. Despite things being tied up pretty neatly at the end of the series, when a feature film was released in 2019, I knew I would see it eventually, though I didn’t feel any need to rush out. I was thinking I might rent it or hope for a good sale on Black Friday, but I was given a digital copy and jumped this one to the top of my queue.
The movie met my expectations, tempered by middling reviews. I doubt someone coming in cold would really care about the characters in the movie, so it seems geared more towards fans of the show. Because of the huge cast, some characters don’t have much to do, and characters written off of the show don’t come back. They weave together a couple of good, if fanciful, stories, mostly centered on a visit by King George and Queen Mary around 1927. Problems arise and are maybe too easily remedied since there is not an entire season for a developing arc. It is good to see the characters again and most of the actors are comfortable in the roles, even though not much is asked of most of them. Fans of the show should definitely see it, but it is probably not a good place to start.
Written: 18 Oct 2020
Owned on: Digital