All good things must come to an end. Even “Downton Abbey,” the beloved historical drama that launched an instant fandom in 2010 when it started off as a lavish TV series about the inner workings of an aristocratic post-Edwardian family, the Crawleys, and their devoted staff.
Since then, writer-creator Julian Fellowes has gracefully transformed the series into an equally alluring three-film trilogy. And with the elegant and sharply humorous final edition, “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” he proves yet again that he knows exactly how to harness the elements that made the show so steadily captivating, beyond its gorgeous costumes and detailed production design: a commitment to consistent character work across the era’s social class lines, as well as a handsomely sober portrayal of the past with a steady gaze toward the future.
In that, many hardcore “Downton” devotees will know that one of the mainstay themes of the franchise has been preserving Downton’s well-earned honor across the changing times, which have challenged the family and their servants with various ups and downs, with many an impossible-to-please, high-profile guest, and instances of love, death and even war that entered the orbit of the Crawley estate. Through it all, protecting that top-drawer “Downton” integrity — not just of the fictional house, but of the entire franchise — must have been on Fellowes’ mind as a priority too, while he thoughtfully evolved the upstairs and downstairs residents of the majestic estate on their own plausible terms.
In the final film, one character wistfully suggests that the past might be a more comfortable place to live than the future. Be that as it may (especially for the privileged), but if “Downton” owes its enduring appeal to anything, that would be Fellowes’ determination to gradually push the characters we’ve gotten to know so well out of their comfort zones in the cozy past. And so “The Grand Finale” is proudly marked by that disposition too, perhaps more than either “Downton” movie or any of the TV episodes that came before it. Despite the nostalgic glow that prettily coddles the film, there is a delectably unsubtle passing-the-baton theme that runs through the richly populated affair.
The latest story starts off with a scandal — the very kind that would make us feel grateful for the present times and be rightfully judgmental of the past — involving Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), who’s been navigating the social scene as a freshly divorced woman. We are in the 1930s now, and the shiny London season — with Noel Coward plays and lush balls, like the one Lady Petersfield (Joely Richardson) throws annually — is in full swing. But when Lady Mary shows up to the affair in an unapologetically crimson gown with her parents Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern), little does she know that she is about to be humiliated by getting kicked out of the party. Turns out, divorced women weren’t welcome at the time. (Perhaps, Fellowes’ script contrastingly suggests, the past wasn’t all that comfortable a place, after all.)
The troubles only grow when Lady Grantham’s American brother Harold (a winsome Paul Giamatti) turns up with mysterious financial advisor Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola, wonderfully enigmatic) and a side of some bad news. It seems he has lost a great deal of the fortune left from the Dowager Countess of Grantham (late Dame Maggie Smith), and whatever he was able to salvage, he did thanks to Gus. Feeling like an outcast and burdened by financial troubles, Mary falls for the loose-limbed American charms of Gus’, and the two have a one-night stand that Mary’s loyal right-hand Anna (Joanne Froggatt) discreetly notices. Come to find, Gus is not the reliable advisor he says he is, though he’s certainly bold enough to threaten Mary’s reputation.
Enter clever Tom (Allen Leech) to blow Gus’ ruse and save the family from further ruin with his business sense, as well as Mary’s formidable sister Edith (Laura Carmichael), who, along with reliable members of the Downton staff, slyly puts together a dinner party to restore Mary’s social standing. The bait for the guests? The in-person attendance of Noel Coward (an absolutely delightful Arty Froushan) and film star Guy Dexter (Dominic West, in a charismatic return). Traveling with the duo is former Downton staff member Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), who is now Guy’s partner, dresser and close friend. In one scene, he joins the “upstairs” ranks for a drink as a signifier of the changing times. Elsewhere, during a satisfying scene set against the backdrop of horse races (and many, many spectacular hat varieties), Edith tells off Gus in non-negotiable terms, stepping in to protect the dear sister with whom she’d formerly had a complex relationship.
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The crowded film includes other plotlines around reluctant-to-retire butler Carson (Jim Carter) and his enthusiastic successor Andy (Michael Fox); the impending County Fair, now open to Daisy (the always enchanting Sophie McShera) taking over for Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) as Downton’s cook; and Kevin Doyle’s successful screenwriter Mr. Molesley, desperate to make himself visible to Noel Coward. It’s no easy task, given that Coward is busy being inspired by Lady Mary’s divorce story, which will serve as the basis of his play “Private Lives.”
It’s no surprise that “The Grand Finale” is thoroughly fun, stunning to look at (one more hat-tip to the costumes, especially the bias cuts and cowl necks, designed by Anne Robbins) and aptly emotional as the iconic brand’s swan song. There are expected doses of fan service throughout (including a playful wink to one of Dame Smith’s most unforgettable lines, “What’s a weekend?”) and a neatly achieved final sequence that says a lovely and memorable farewell to all those for whom the show has meant so much. But what lingers most after “The Grand Finale” is its handle on the end of an era, which inherently comprehends that big ideas matter more than massive estates. (In that, a scene where Lady Mary and Lord Grantham entertain buying an apartment in London is beautifully written.) What also packs a punch is the final dedication to Dame Maggie Smith, who might not be with us anymore, but her spirit is generously felt all over “The Grand Finale.”
From Variety US