Downton Abbey – Movie Review
Director: Michael Engler
Writer: Julian Fellowes (Screenplay)
Cast
- Michelle Dockery (Non-Stop)
- Maggie Smith (Lady in the Van)
- Huge Bonneville (Paddington)
- Laura Carmichael (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
- Elizabeth McGovern (The Commuter)
Plot: The continuing story of the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside in the early twentieth century.
Runtime: 2 Hours 2 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Downton Abbey starts as the Crawley family learns that they have been selected to host the King and Queen. Robert (Bonneville) and Cora (McGovern) prepare for the visit even if it is only one night visit.
As the household prepares for the visit, we see the different levels of importance in the home taking control. They look to keep themselves together through the biggest day in the family’s history, as things might not be unfolding the way they want.
Verdict on Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a movie extension of the popular TV series. This shows the panic and unrest created in the household when a royal visit is coming their way. It sees the family needing to come together to prepare for the big visit and give the members of the family and serving team a chance to fight to prove their worth.
Having never seen the television series, it does make certain parts of the movie harder to pick up on. For example, are some of the moments cliff hangers from the series that were never answered. It does fill us in with the stuck-up nature of the people involved and the friendly importance of the people who serve them. This does feel like it is would be a welcome addition to the fans of the television show, but hard to understand everything from the outside looking in.
Final Thoughts – Downton Abbey is one for the fans of the television series and the extended stories.
