This British comedy farce grabbed my interest thanks to the trailers humour. It boasts a star-studded cast of UK actors, including co-writer Jimmy Carr. The main cast featuring Damian Lewis as Lord Davenport, Tom Felton as Archibald and Anna Maxwell Martin supporting.
The film centres on the Davenport family at Fackham Hall. Unbeknownst to the family, they’ve hired a pickpocket who falls for their daughter Rose. To save the family home, Rose is forced into marriage to Archibald.
Downton Abbey offers a wealth of material for this film to parody. This British comedy farce entertains with stories ranging from romance to murder.
It’s not necessarily laugh-out-loud funny but very amusing with some aspects that are unexpectedly charming.
Be on the lookout for many background jokes like distant character interactions, posters and signs that add to the humour and make you chuckle.
I enjoyed the film more than my wife and I understand it’s doing well at the box office. This is definitely a better British comedy film than many others that flop at the box office.
I particularly enjoyed Anna Maxwell Martin’s portrayal of Mrs McCallister. While billed as a supporting role, she actually features heavily and feels more like a main cast member. She provides plenty of laughs and turns out to be quite crucial to the plot portraying her cold character.
Thomasin McKenzie, who plays Rose, delivers a delightful and likeable performance. Damian Lewis appears slightly less on screen but is equally excellent.
I highly recommend watching this film; and the 100-minute runtime is just right.
Film Rating
Music
N/A (more sound effects than instrumental/music)
Story/plot
3 out of 5
Acting/Performances
3.5 out of 5
Overall
3.5 out of 5
Certification: 15
Running time: 100 minutes
Screening type: 2D
Cast
Info according to Chat GPT:
🎭 Main Cast
Thomasin McKenzie – Rose Davenport
Ben Radcliffe – Eric Noone
Katherine Waterston – Lady Davenport
Damian Lewis – Lord Davenport
Tom Felton – Archibald
Emma Laird – Poppy Davenport
🎬 Supporting Cast
Anna Maxwell Martin – Mrs McCallister
Tom Goodman-Hill – Inspector Watt
Sue Johnston – Great Aunt Bonaparte
Lizzie Hopley – Phyllis Davenport
Jimmy Carr – Vicar
Lily Knight – Fifi Valentine
Magdalena Sverlander – Miss Rose Seller
Tim McMullan – Cyril
Laurie Ogden – Patricia
Paula Wharton – Mrs Kitchen
Gemma Wardle – Gladys
