Truth be told I walk past a poster, or two, of Downton Abbey in the halls on the way to my office everyday. Given my day job, knowing I haven’t seen Downton Abbey in its entirety I’d be lashed “by viewers like you” so when the folks over at Universal Home Entertainment sent over the latest entry in the Crawley saga I could almost hear my coworkers shaming me as I opened it. Obviously, not being versed in the Downton ways some references and events might’ve have gone over my head but I still enjoyed the movie overall.
DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Ben Blackall / © 2022 Focus Features LLC
The film is directed by Simon Curtis and based on the television series created by Julian Fellowes. I must say immediately worth noting upon starting the movie in a time of big budget entertainment, digital production, green screens, and LED walls the locations featured here are beautiful and almost characters themselves. I think I could’ve spent the entire films duration gazing at the grand sweeping wide camera shots of Highclere Castle and the surrounding landscapes. As the title states A New Era very much feels as though it’s setting up for a change as Violet Crawley (Dame Maggie Smith) is getting her affairs in order. A big portion of the plot centering on the abbey’s usage in a film production in order to pay for the repairs to the aging estate while the other around Violet’s newly inherited villa in South France with lots of questions attached. I found the latter to be less interesting but that could just be an occupational bias.
New Era, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Ben Blackall / © 2022 Focus Features LLC
Working in the industry, seeing a film production, or a reenactment of one anyway, and the evolution of filmmaking from the 1920’s put a smile on my face. The early days of post production and ADR. I’ve always been a fan of cinema and all its history so a trip down memory lane to a time of silent films is a welcome one. A New Era offers an interesting perspective I hadn’t considered for silent film actors whose voices previously weren’t a concern now losing work as starlet Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock) realizes she can no longer just the look the part she has to sound it as well. I would enjoy seeing an eccentric filmmaker from today take a swing at a modern interpretation of a silent film.
Mr. Stubbins and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary in DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era, a
Focus Features release.
Credit: Ben Blackall / © 2022 Focus Features LLC
Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, as always, delights and easily has the best dialogue. I do wonder how Downton fares going forward without her presence as the stalwart of the series. Although the coterie of British talent the series, and film alike, boasts is rather astounding and may prove to fare just fine. Series regulars with the likes of Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter and more are all here. To pay any of the actors a compliment seems obvious and expected but performances by Michelle Dockery, Laura Haddock, & Hugh Dancy stuck out for me. Bonneville and McGovern deliver an extra emotional punch. You go to a five star restaurant for great food and you get five star actors for great performances. The disc the studio sent over had an excellent video and audio presentation with the warm colors of Highclere Castle on full display. The production featured beautiful set design, a fantastic cast and a lighthearted emotional score.
DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Ben Blackall / © 2022 Focus Features, LLC
As previously mentioned, and implied by its title, A New Era does feel like a changing of the times with many of the cast members presented with decisions and/or opportunities for change and new generations arrive. As my foray into the Downton landscape, figuratively and literally, the film’s plot involving filmmaking itself was a pleasant surprise. For only having seen a few out of the many hours of Downton available I enjoyed the two I spent watching A New Era. I suppose the best compliment I could give the film is it’s inspired me to resume watching the series. Late to the party as I may be.
CAST & FILMMAKERS:
Directed by: Simon Curtis
Based on the Television Series Created By: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nichol, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton.
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