Downton Abbey is owned by the Crawley family and they are about to have a Royal visit when King and Queen spend the night with them as part of a tour.
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*I haven't watched Downton Abbey the tv series which has six seasons, but is now something I feel I must catch up with*
I felt it was important to mention before getting into my review that I have not seen the tv series as I felt it is something that must be mentioned when reviewing the film. Something I throughly enjoyed from start to finish and was left wondering just why and how I have never got into the series before. I understand that some moments with characters would have been lost on me considering I don't really know them very well at all. But I am pleased to say that the film has enough about it that it is enjoyable as a one off.
The Crawley family are very wealthy and own the large estate in the countryside. Robert Crawley also known as the Earl of Grantham is in charge and we see his family and workers adapt to the royal visit. For the family it is a great honour but for the servants and workers within the estate it does not seem as amazing as they first hoped it would be. With the Royal entourage they are replaced by other workers and this creates an atmosphere behind the scenes at Downton.
Don't worry though as they plan on a revolution to ensure they are involved in the very important visit. Showcasing just what Downton is all about, something I could pick up on very quickly (and now want to know more about). The flow of the story within the film worked very well as the visit was to happen very quickly from first finding out about it. Along with that we get many sub-plots which all interweave throughout and create plenty of drama to enjoy. I actually thought the small inclusion of the gay scene was something very unexpected and quite frankly an interesting part of the story. I was pleased it was put in such a nice manner really. As well as having to decide what you actually want to do with your life, that was for both the Crawley's and the workers they have serving them. So I guess it helps to clarify that money does not mean you have everything.
It might have seemed a strange choice considering my lack of knowledge around the series but it really did not make too much of a difference. Some of the characters I might have cared about a little bit more, but it was still achieved within the film. Not forgetting that Maggie Smith stole every single scene as Violet and was a joy to watch. Getting some truly fantastic lines and bouncing off Penelope Wilton so very well, along with a reunion with Imelda Staunton (yes, I really could not help but think about Harry Potter and the scenes they shared in that) again creating some fantastic exchanges.