Don Reviews "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale"

Sometimes, I wind up being “late to the party” when it comes to television series or film franchises.  When that happens, I wonder if I can jump in at any point and not get lost without going back to the beginning.  In some cases, that is a virtual impossibility, but when it comes to Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, I wanted to put this theory to the test since I had not watched ANY of the previous films or television episodes.

Simon Curtis (who also directed the previous A New Era) leads the cast of Michelle Dockery, Joanna Froggatt, Paul Giamatti, Hugh Bonneville, Dominic West, Jim Carter and Elizabeth McGovern.  It is 1930s London, and the Crawley family is dealing with the divorce of Lady Mary (Dockery), which is unheard of in the elite social circles at that time.  At the same time, The Great Depression is upon them, they are trying to balance their social status and justifying that status by holding on to what they have.

Principal photography here took place at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England, and it looks gorgeous and keeps the film right in the time period it needs to be in, giving me the feeling of going back in time.  The cast does a wonderful job, mixing the old with the new like Bonneville and Giamatti, respectively.  As great as the performances are, there may be some nominations for people like Dockery and Bonneville.

As we get into the film itself, remember that I went into the screening not seeing any of the television episodes or seeing the first two films.  Given that, I WAS able to follow what was going on pretty easily and actually did go back and watch the first two films afterwards.  What I found in doing so is that all of them do move slowly, but they do deal with a central theme that is still entertaining while watching the characters interact with each other on a number of different subjects   

To sum up, if you like the series, I feel you will enjoy Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.  This film fits well into the mold that is also used in things like Gosford Park and The Gilded Age.  Even though the title gives the impression that this is the last one, it leaves things on a good note but has the genius to leave it or make another one, and I will definitely recommend this film as a twilight showing in the theaters.