Cert – PG, Run-time – 2 hours 4 minutes, Director – Simon Curtis
1930, a new era has well and truly arrived and for some at Downton Abbey that may mean moving on and passing on the mantle, if financial woes don’t bring an end to everything.
Regardless of your relationship with Downton Abbey The Grand Finale is very much more of the same. How you respond that depends on your relationship with Downton Abbey. For those, like myself, who have never seen the series – in my case outside of the films – there seems to be a lot going on but it largely boils down to Downton facing financial struggles amidst signs that with the changing era the ways of the Grantham family may be becoming a thing of the past. Also, there’s a build-up to a county fair. Both involve the line of Michelle Dockery’s Lady Mary being almost turned away from society for being a divorced woman.
For those who are fans of the series there’s, as with the previous films, a good deal more involving the many characters, new and returning, which will more than likely engage and entertain. There’s much talk on different levels about retirement and promotions, all done with a loose enough bow to allow this to be a grand finale rather than the grand finale.
Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) is reluctantly facing the fact that he may soon have to pass on leadership of Downton, however with fellow Lords and Ladies selling off their grand houses due to the rising expenses of both London and the dawning ’30s it seems he may have to do the same. However, Lady Grantham’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) is also having troubles after the previous year’s Wall Street crash, although new friend Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola) is helping him see it through.
Everything is treated with little major stress or worry, this is a world where everything can be resolved with a dinner party, although there are some occasional raised voices. Mirroring the idea that this is more posh people having posh people problems, for which it’s rather difficult to feel much emotion about. There’s general watchability and engagement, and some amusement to be found – particularly as Jim Carter’s retired-again Mr Carson and Sophie McShera’s soon-to-be head cook Daisy are invited to join the county fair committee, to the disgust of Simon Russell Beale’s Sir Hector Moreland, against the idea of any input from mere servants. I could have gladly spent two hours watching a film just about this strand with its slight British underdog angle.
There are continued beats from previous films about characters being gay, although with this still being the early-20th century closeted – although there are aspects of this third film that feel like its less the society depicted and more the film being frustratingly scared to talk about sexuality; aside from one line spoken by Arty Froushan as Noël Coward. It’s a small point in the film that’s lightly brought up between Dominic West and Robert James-Collier’s characters but it still feels strained and awkwardly danced around when done so.
It contributes to more of the same from Downton. Generally watchable enough for outsiders, although how much there is to properly care about is a different matter, and with a good deal of everything and everyone for fans. This is a quaint, untroubling alleged finale for the Grantham family.
Once again, fans will get the most from the good deal that’s clearly going on in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. But for casual viewers there’s a fine enough, if unaffecting, closing chapter here.
Just A Little Bit Random 