THERE'S SOMETHING PROFOUNDLY COMFORTING ABOUT RETURNING TO DOWNTON ABBEY, LIKE SLIPPING INTO A FAVORITE ARMCHAIR THAT'S MOLDED PERFECTLY TO YOUR SHAPE OVER THE YEARS. "DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA" (WHICH MANY FANS CONSIDER THE GRAND FINALE) DOESN'T JUST CLOSE THE DOOR ON THE CRAWLEY FAMILY SAGA—IT GENTLY LATCHES IT WITH THE KIND OF TENDER FINALITY THAT MAKES YOU WISH YOU COULD KNOCK JUST ONE MORE TIME. THIS ISN'T A FILM THAT AIMS TO REVOLUTIONIZE CINEMA OR PUSH BOUNDARIES. INSTEAD, IT DOES SOMETHING ARGUABLY MORE DIFFICULT: IT HONORS ITS LEGACY WHILE GIVING DEVOTED FANS THE EMOTIONAL CLOSURE THEY'VE CRAVED SINCE THE SERIES ENDED IN 2015.
FOR THOSE WHO'VE SPENT YEARS INVESTED IN THE UPSTAIRS-DOWNSTAIRS DRAMA OF THIS YORKSHIRE ESTATE, THIS FILM FEELS LESS LIKE A MOVIE AND MORE LIKE A LONG-AWAITED FAMILY REUNION WHERE EVERYONE ACTUALLY GETS ALONG. BUT DOES THIS FOND FAREWELL JUSTIFY ITS THEATRICAL RELEASE, OR SHOULD IT HAVE REMAINED A TELEVISION SPECIAL? THE ANSWER, SURPRISINGLY, LIES SOMEWHERE IN THE BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED MIDDLE.
SETTING THE STAGE
DIRECTED BY SIMON CURTIS AND WRITTEN BY SERIES CREATOR JULIAN FELLOWES, "DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA" PREMIERED IN 2022 AS THE SECOND FILM CONTINUATION OF THE BELOVED BRITISH PERIOD DRAMA. THE ENSEMBLE CAST RETURNS IN FULL FORCE—DAME MAGGIE SMITH AS THE INDOMITABLE DOWAGER COUNTESS VIOLET CRAWLEY, HUGH BONNEVILLE AS ROBERT CRAWLEY, MICHELLE DOCKERY AS LADY MARY, AND THE ENTIRE FAMILIAR ROSTER OF CHARACTERS BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW STAIRS.
THE FILM WEAVES TWO PARALLEL STORYLINES: THE CRAWLEY FAMILY TRAVELS TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE TO UNCOVER THE MYSTERY BEHIND A VILLA THAT THE DOWAGER COUNTESS HAS UNEXPECTEDLY INHERITED, WHILE BACK AT DOWNTON, THE ESTATE TRANSFORMS INTO A MOVIE SET FOR A 1920S SILENT FILM PRODUCTION. IT'S A CLEVER DUAL NARRATIVE THAT ALLOWS THE FILM TO EXPLORE BOTH NOSTALGIA FOR THE PAST AND ADAPTATION TO AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE—THEMES THAT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF DOWNTON ABBEY.
MY VERDICT? THIS IS A SATISFYING, IF SOMEWHAT SAFE, CONCLUSION THAT PRIORITIZES HEART OVER SURPRISE. IT'S A FILM MADE FOR THE FANS, BY PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY LOVE THESE CHARACTERS AS MUCH AS WE DO.
THE STORY UNFOLDS
WITHOUT VENTURING INTO SPOILER TERRITORY, THE FILM OPENS WITH AN INTRIGUING INHERITANCE THAT PROMISES TO REVEAL SECRETS FROM VIOLET'S PAST—A ROMANTIC MYSTERY THAT ADDS UNEXPECTED DEPTH TO A CHARACTER WE THOUGHT WE KNEW COMPLETELY. THIS SENDS A CONTINGENT OF CRAWLEYS TO A SUN-DRENCHED FRENCH VILLA, WHERE OLD LOVES AND NEW REVELATIONS AWAIT.
MEANWHILE, DOWNTON ITSELF BECOMES A CHARACTER STUDY IN ADAPTATION. WHEN A FILM CREW ARRIVES TO SHOOT A MOTION PICTURE AT THE ESTATE, THE CLASH BETWEEN OLD-WORLD ARISTOCRACY AND NEW-WORLD HOLLYWOOD PROVIDES BOTH COMEDY AND COMMENTARY. THE SERVANTS, PARTICULARLY BARROW THE BUTLER, FIND THEMSELVES DRAWN INTO THE GLAMOROUS CHAOS OF FILMMAKING, WHILE LADY MARY MUST NAVIGATE THE PRACTICAL CHALLENGES OF KEEPING THE ESTATE FINANCIALLY VIABLE.
THE SETUP ALLOWS FELLOWES TO EXPLORE HIS FAVORITE THEME: CHANGE VERSUS TRADITION. THE 1920S WAS A PERIOD OF SEISMIC SOCIAL SHIFT, AND DOWNTON ABBEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT ITS BEST WHEN EXAMINING HOW INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS ADAPT—OR FAIL TO ADAPT—TO NEW REALITIES. HERE, THE ARRIVAL OF "TALKIES" THREATENS TO UPEND THE SILENT FILM BEING SHOT AT DOWNTON, JUST AS MODERNITY CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE THE ARISTOCRATIC WAY OF LIFE.
VISUAL SPLENDOR AND CINEMATIC CRAFT
CINEMATOGRAPHY ✓ VISUAL DESIGN
CINEMATOGRAPHER ANDREW DUNN TRANSFORMS DOWNTON FROM A TELEVISION ESTATE INTO GENUINE CINEMATIC GRANDEUR. THE FRENCH SEQUENCES ARE BATHED IN GOLDEN MEDITERRANEAN LIGHT THAT CONTRASTS BEAUTIFULLY WITH THE COOLER, MORE FORMAL TONES OF YORKSHIRE. THE VILLA SCENES FEEL ALMOST DREAMLIKE, APPROPRIATELY SO GIVEN THEIR CONNECTION TO MEMORY AND LOST LOVE. THE FILM-WITHIN-A-FILM SEQUENCES ARE PARTICULARLY DELIGHTFUL, CAPTURING THE PERIOD-ACCURATE AESTHETIC OF SILENT CINEMA WITH GENUINE AFFECTION RATHER THAN PARODY.
THE COSTUME DESIGN BY ANNA ROBBINS DESERVES SPECIAL MENTION—EVERY CHARACTER'S WARDROBE TELLS A STORY ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE IN LIFE. LADY MARY'S INCREASINGLY MODERN SILHOUETTES SIGNAL HER FORWARD-THINKING APPROACH TO ESTATE MANAGEMENT, WHILE VIOLET'S REGAL BUT SLIGHTLY OUTDATED GOWNS EMPHASIZE HER ROLE AS A GUARDIAN OF TRADITION.
SOUND ✓ MUSIC
COMPOSER JOHN LUNN RETURNS WITH A SCORE THAT BALANCES THE FAMILIAR DOWNTON THEME WITH NEW MUSICAL ELEMENTS THAT REFLECT BOTH THE FRENCH SETTING AND THE 1920S JAZZ AGE. THE MUSIC NEVER OVERWHELMS THE DIALOGUE—THIS IS VERY MUCH A CHARACTER-DRIVEN PIECE—BUT IT PROVIDES EMOTIONAL UNDERLINING AT KEY MOMENTS. THE SOUND DESIGN IN THE FILM-WITHIN-A-FILM SCENES CLEVERLY PLAYS WITH SILENCE AND THE SCRATCHY QUALITY OF EARLY SOUND RECORDING, CREATING AN AUTHENTIC PERIOD ATMOSPHERE.
DIRECTION ✓ PACING
SIMON CURTIS DIRECTS WITH A STEADY HAND THAT PRIORITIZES CHARACTER OVER SPECTACLE. THE PACING OCCASIONALLY SUFFERS FROM TRYING TO SERVICE TOO MANY STORYLINES—WITH SUCH A LARGE ENSEMBLE, SOME PLOT THREADS FEEL RUSHED WHILE OTHERS MEANDER. THE TWO-HOUR RUNTIME SOMETIMES FEELS STRETCHED, PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDDLE SECTION WHERE THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH STORYLINES RUN PARALLEL WITHOUT INTERSECTING. HOWEVER, CURTIS EXCELS AT THE INTIMATE MOMENTS: A KNOWING GLANCE BETWEEN LONGTIME COMPANIONS, A HAND GENTLY TOUCHING A SHOULDER, THE WEIGHT OF UNSPOKEN HISTORY.
EDITING
THE INTERCUTTING BETWEEN THE TWO PRIMARY LOCATIONS IS HANDLED COMPETENTLY BY EDITOR ÉVA GÁRDOS, THOUGH THE RHYTHM OCCASIONALLY FEELS MORE SUITED TO TELEVISION'S EPISODIC STRUCTURE THAN CINEMA'S NARRATIVE FLOW. SOME TRANSITIONS ARE ELEGANT, USING VISUAL OR THEMATIC PARALLELS TO BRIDGE SCENES. OTHERS FEEL MORE FUNCTIONAL THAN INSPIRED. THE FILM'S CLIMACTIC SEQUENCES, HOWEVER, ARE EDITED WITH GENUINE EMOTIONAL PRECISION, ALLOWING KEY MOMENTS TO BREATHE WITHOUT RUSHING TO THE NEXT PLOT POINT.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER: PERFORMANCES
DAME MAGGIE SMITH DELIVERS WHAT MAY BE HER FINAL PERFORMANCE AS VIOLET CRAWLEY, AND SHE ENSURES IT COUNTS. EVERY CUTTING REMARK LANDS WITH PRECISION, BUT SHE ALSO ALLOWS US TO SEE THE VULNERABILITY BENEATH THE ARMOR OF WIT. HER SCENES IN FRANCE, WHERE WE GLIMPSE THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO ONCE MADE DIFFERENT CHOICES, ARE GENUINELY MOVING. SMITH DOESN'T OVERSELL THE EMOTION—SHE DOESN'T NEED TO. A SLIGHT SOFTENING OF HER FAMOUSLY SHARP FEATURES SPEAKS VOLUMES.
HUGH BONNEVILLE BRINGS WARMTH AND DECENCY TO ROBERT CRAWLEY, A CHARACTER WHO COULD EASILY BE A BUFFOONISH ARISTOCRAT BUT INSTEAD REPRESENTS A KIND OF GENTLE NOBILITY STRUGGLING TO FIND RELEVANCE IN A CHANGING WORLD. HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOTHER PROVIDES SOME OF THE FILM'S MOST TOUCHING MOMENTS.
MICHELLE DOCKERY'S LADY MARY CONTINUES TO BE THE BACKBONE OF THE ESTATE AND, IN MANY WAYS, THE SERIES. DOCKERY PLAYS HER WITH INTELLIGENCE AND INCREASING CONFIDENCE, SHOWING US A WOMAN WHO HAS LEARNED TO BALANCE DUTY WITH DESIRE, TRADITION WITH INNOVATION. HER INTERACTIONS WITH THE FILM CREW SHOWCASE HER DIPLOMATIC SKILLS AND SHARP BUSINESS SENSE.
THE SUPPORTING CAST—FROM JIM CARTER'S STOIC CARSON TO PHYLLIS LOGAN'S PRAGMATIC MRS. HUGHES TO ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER'S COMPLEX BARROW—ALL GET THEIR MOMENTS TO SHINE. IF ANYTHING, THE FILM'S WEAKNESS IS THAT IT TRIES TOO HARD TO GIVE EVERYONE A SUBPLOT, MEANING SOME CHARACTERS FEEL SHORTCHANGED. STILL, THE CHEMISTRY THIS ENSEMBLE HAS DEVELOPED OVER YEARS OF WORKING TOGETHER IS PALPABLE AND DEEPLY SATISFYING TO WATCH.
THE WRITING: COMFORT AND PREDICTABILITY
JULIAN FELLOWES' SCREENPLAY IS QUINTESSENTIALLY FELLOWES—WITTY DIALOGUE, ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS, CLASS COMMENTARY, AND A FUNDAMENTAL OPTIMISM ABOUT HUMAN NATURE. THE DIALOGUE SPARKLES, PARTICULARLY IN VIOLET'S ZINGERS AND THE FISH-OUT-OF-WATER COMEDY WHEN HOLLYWOOD MEETS THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE. LINES LIKE VIOLET'S OBSERVATION ABOUT THE FILM CREW—"I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER WORKED HARDER TO AVOID WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING"—CAPTURE BOTH HER WIT AND THE FILM'S SELF-AWARE HUMOR.
HOWEVER, THE SCRIPT'S GREATEST STRENGTH IS ALSO ITS LIMITATION: IT'S DEEPLY COMMITTED TO NOT UPSETTING THE FORMULA THAT WORKS. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT FEELS MORE LIKE CHARACTER CONFIRMATION—EVERYONE ENDS UP ROUGHLY WHERE WE'D EXPECT THEM TO BE. CONFLICTS ARE INTRODUCED AND RESOLVED WITH EFFICIENCY THAT SOMETIMES BORDERS ON NEATNESS. THERE ARE NO SHOCKING TWISTS, NO DARK REVELATIONS THAT FUNDAMENTALLY CHALLENGE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE CHARACTERS.
THE THEMATIC EXPLORATION OF CHANGE VERSUS TRADITION IS HANDLED WITH THE SAME GENTLE OPTIMISM THAT'S ALWAYS CHARACTERIZED THE SERIES. THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR: THINGS MUST CHANGE, BUT WHAT'S TRULY VALUABLE CAN BE PRESERVED. IT'S A COMFORTING PHILOSOPHY BUT NOT A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING ONE.
BENEATH THE SURFACE: THEMES AND MEANING
AT ITS CORE, THIS FILM IS ABOUT LEGACY—WHAT WE INHERIT, WHAT WE CREATE, AND WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND. THE FRENCH VILLA REPRESENTS ROADS NOT TAKEN, CHOICES MADE IN YOUTH THAT ECHO THROUGH DECADES. THE FILM CREW AT DOWNTON REPRESENTS THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF CULTURE, THE WAY TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL CHANGE WERE MAKING ENTERTAINMENT—AND BY EXTENSION, STATUS—ACCESSIBLE TO THE MASSES.
THERE'S ALSO A MEDITATION ON MORTALITY THAT RUNS THROUGH THE FILM LIKE A QUIET STREAM. VIOLET'S STORYLINE CONFRONTS THE REALITY THAT EVEN THE MOST FORMIDABLE PERSONALITIES MUST EVENTUALLY EXIT THE STAGE. THE FILM ASKS: WHAT MATTERS AT THE END OF A LIFE? THE ANSWER IT PROVIDES IS CONNECTION, LOVE, AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'VE PREPARED THE NEXT GENERATION TO CARRY ON.
THE FILM-WITHIN-A-FILM DEVICE SERVES AS A METAPHOR FOR THE ENTIRE DOWNTON ABBEY PROJECT. THESE ARISTOCRATIC FAMILIES ARE THEMSELVES BECOMING RELICS, PERFORMANCES OF A WAY OF LIFE THAT'S RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING. BY LITERALLY TURNING THE ESTATE INTO A MOVIE SET, THE FILM ACKNOWLEDGES THAT DOWNTON'S SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON BECOMING A KIND OF LIVING MUSEUM, A PERFORMANCE OF THE PAST FOR MODERN AUDIENCES.
WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T
THE EMOTIONAL PAYOFFS FEEL EARNED AFTER YEARS OF INVESTMENT IN THESE CHARACTERS. THE FILM HONORS ITS AUDIENCE'S INTELLIGENCE BY TRUSTING US TO UNDERSTAND SUBTLE CALLBACKS AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. THE PRODUCTION VALUES ARE GENUINELY CINEMATIC, JUSTIFYING THE THEATRICAL RELEASE. MAGGIE SMITH'S PERFORMANCE ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. THE FILM PROVIDES GENUINE CLOSURE WITHOUT FEELING RUSHED OR FORCED.
WEAKNESSES:
THE DUAL PLOTLINE STRUCTURE MEANS NEITHER STORY GETS THE DEPTH IT DESERVES. SOME CHARACTERS ARE REDUCED TO BRIEF CAMEOS THAT FEEL PERFUNCTORY RATHER THAN PURPOSEFUL. THE FILM PLAYS IT TOO SAFE—THERE ARE NO REAL RISKS TAKEN WITH PLOT OR CHARACTER. THE PACING IN THE MIDDLE SECTION DRAGS, AND CERTAIN SUBPLOTS FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG MORE IN A TELEVISION EPISODE THAN A FEATURE FILM. THE RESOLUTION OF CERTAIN STORYLINES STRETCHES CREDIBILITY IN FAVOR OF SATISFYING ENDINGS.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THAT THE FILM SOMETIMES FEELS MORE LIKE AN EXTENDED EPISODE THAN A CINEMATIC EVENT. THE SCOPE, WHILE VISUALLY EXPANDED, DOESN'T QUITE MATCH THE THEATRICAL AMBITIONS.
IN THE CONTEXT OF PERIOD DRAMA
COMPARED TO OTHER PERIOD DRAMAS THAT HAVE MADE THE LEAP TO FILM—LIKE THE "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" ADAPTATIONS OR "GOSFORD PARK"—"DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA" IS MORE CONCERNED WITH FAN SERVICE THAN CINEMATIC INNOVATION. IT LACKS THE SHARP SOCIAL SATIRE OF ROBERT ALTMAN'S WORK OR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY OF THE BEST AUSTEN ADAPTATIONS. HOWEVER, IT EXCELS AT SOMETHING THOSE FILMS DON'T ATTEMPT: PROVIDING A SATISFYING CONCLUSION TO YEARS OF SERIALIZED STORYTELLING.
WITHIN JULIAN FELLOWES' OWN FILMOGRAPHY, THIS REPRESENTS HIS SWEETEST, MOST SENTIMENTAL WORK. IT LACKS THE EDGE OF "GOSFORD PARK" BUT HAS MORE HEART THAN HIS MORE RECENT SERIES "THE GILDED AGE." IT'S FELLOWES IN COMFORT MODE, WHICH IS BOTH ITS APPEAL AND ITS LIMITATION.
IN THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF STREAMING AND FRANCHISE FILMMAKING, "DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA" REPRESENTS AN INCREASINGLY RARE CREATURE: A MID-BUDGET, CHARACTER-DRIVEN FILM AIMED AT AN ADULT AUDIENCE THAT VALUES EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OVER SPECTACLE. IN THAT SENSE, IT'S ALMOST AS MUCH A RELIC AS THE WORLD IT DEPICTS—AND THERE'S SOMETHING RATHER BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THAT.
THE FINAL VERDICT
"DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA" IS NOT A GREAT FILM IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE. IT WON'T REVOLUTIONIZE CINEMA, WIN MAJOR AWARDS, OR BE STUDIED IN FILM SCHOOLS. BUT IT ACCOMPLISHES SOMETHING EQUALLY VALUABLE: IT PROVIDES A LOVING, RESPECTFUL FAREWELL TO CHARACTERS MILLIONS HAVE COME TO CHERISH. IT'S A FILM THAT KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS AND WHOM IT'S FOR, AND IT DELIVERS ON THOSE MODEST BUT MEANINGFUL PROMISES.
THIS IS A MOVIE FOR THE DEVOTED FANS WHO'VE FOLLOWED THE CRAWLEYS THROUGH SIX SEASONS AND TWO FILMS. IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THE SERIES, YOU'LL BE UTTERLY LOST—AND THAT'S OKAY. THE FILM HAS NO INTEREST IN CONVERTING NEWCOMERS. INSTEAD, IT'S A THANK YOU LETTER TO THE AUDIENCE THAT'S SUPPORTED THIS STORY FOR OVER A DECADE.
WHO SHOULD SEE IT? ANYONE WHO'S INVESTED IN THE SERIES WILL FIND THIS A SATISFYING CONCLUSION. IT'S PERFECT FOR A AFTERNOON MATINEE WITH YOUR MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, OR ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES ELEGANT PERIOD DRAMA AND ENSEMBLE CHARACTER WORK.
WHO CAN SKIP IT? IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY A FAN, DON'T START HERE. AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING CHALLENGING, PROVOCATIVE, OR INNOVATIVE, LOOK ELSEWHERE. THIS IS COMFORT FOOD OF THE HIGHEST ORDER—BEAUTIFULLY PREPARED, LOVINGLY SERVED, BUT ULTIMATELY FAMILIAR.
