Facts: Downton Abbey: A New Era
Genre: Drama / comedy
Starring: Harry Hadden-Paton, Laura Carmichael, Tuppence Middleton
Directed by Simon Curtis
Age limit: Children allowed
Playing time: 2 hours 5 minutes.
Rating: + + +
The British upper class and the created fantasies about the heyday of the empire never cease to fascinate. Old money, classic fashion and servile servants seem to be such a big dream for so many that “Downton Abbey” has become one of the world’s most popular costume dramas.
The “new era” is 1928, and the film depicts the transition from silent to talkative. The hallmark of “Downton Abbey” is, as is well known, allowing small dramas to unfold against a backdrop of major historical events. This time, Lady Mary has taken over as head of the house and she insists that the cash must be brought in to repair the leaking roof. After some protests that actors are decadent nonsense, the estate in Yorkshire is finally allowed to become the filming location.
Despite the strained (?) Economy, there is money for the rest of the family (plus butler) to travel to the south of France on a first-class ship. The aim of the parallel document is to investigate a luxury villa that the increasingly shabby Countess Violet Crawley inherited from a French woman she met in her youth.
But really, the adventure is just an excuse to move the family to another environment with elegant abundance. And it works quite well thanks to the architecture, the champagne glasses and the palm trees. What the family talked about on the trip, however, is difficult to recall.
At home in Downton, Lady Mary flirts a bit with the director, but mostly tries to keep the goods together for the filming. It is a bit complicated as the sound of the movie “The gambler” has to be dubbed. The film’s star actor has such a noisy voice that Lady Mary herself is recruited for the assignment.
There are not directly high stakes in “A New Era”. No one is unfaithful, starts fighting or loses his temper more than what is dressy. So it is not very exciting, but sweet and slips down as easily as a dessert. “Downton Abbey: A New Era” offers a comfortable place to rest for a few hours where you can forget about the real world.
Laura Haddock as the silent film star Myrna Dalgleish in “Downton Abbey: A New Era”. Press image.