★★★½
A follow-up to the 2019 movie and the BBC sequence, Downton Abbey: A New Period is a romance drama directed by Simon Curtis (Goodbye Christopher Robin, My Week with Marilyn) and starring Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Robert James-Collier, Hugh Dancy, Dominic West, and Laura Haddock.
The Crawley household journeys to the South of France as a way to uncover the thriller of Countess Violet Crawley’s newly inherited villa. Whereas a lot of the household is in France, Girl Mary Talbot (Dockery) and Violet (Smith) keep behind to observe over the property whereas a film crew runs amok. Will Robert Crawley (Bonneville) and firm uncover the reality? Can the employees sustain with the large personalities and their large calls for?
Whereas there’s all the time one thing taking place, the stakes are by no means very excessive. It’s established to start with of the film (and within the trailer) that the inheritance was a contented shock. The legitimacy of Violet’s declare is questioned, but when the villa does go to the Frenchman’s widow as an alternative, what has the Crawley household misplaced? Regardless of who will get the home, nobody goes to finish up homeless.
The identical goes for the kerfuffle with the film crew capturing at Downton. Whereas the cash to be gained from the usage of their house is put aside for a much-needed trigger (fixing the roof), the issue isn’t established beforehand. The stakes are hardly ever raised, and when they’re, nobody is in peril for lengthy.
That may turn out to be a difficulty with a stand-alone film, however Downton Abbey: A New Period is a bit totally different. For individuals who are loyal followers of the Crawley household and their employees, this may occasionally really feel like an extended episode, and that’s not essentially a foul factor. The drama comes from understanding the characters and watching their progress by eight seasons and a function movie’s price of ups and downs.
Hugh Bonneville’s portrayal of Robert Crawley is great. Within the present, he’s a sort and stoic patriarch. In the beginning of this film, he has already relinquished that position to his oldest daughter and should come to phrases along with his fledgling standing, together with numerous different upheavals unearthed throughout the 125-minute run time. Bonneville flexes his appearing prowess and succeeds in pulling at heartstrings.
Admirers of the sequence will discover this to be a welcome reunion of previous associates. Every member of the forged does an excellent job of their roles. Hugh Dancy, Dominic West, and Laura Haddock are nice additions who do a terrific job mixing it up with Crawley and employees.
The areas, units, and costumes are wonderful and heighten the immersion of this era piece. A enjoyable and useful shock is a recap of the earlier film, which performs earlier than the opening credit. Director Simon Curtis doesn’t disgrace any viewers who haven’t watched the sequence. However for followers who’ve, there are many Easter eggs. Whether or not hardcore fanatic or a curious beginner to the world of Downton, audiences will discover A New Period to be a heat and indulging movie.
