Downton Abbey, the movie, the waste

[TruthBTold]

That pretty much sums up everything I have to say about it.

[+ g56whiz]

Oh come on! The plot jumped the shark (several times) and the acting sucked but the sets and costumes were pure visual porn.

[TruthBTold]

Oh come on! The plot jumped the shark (several times) and the acting sucked but the sets and costumes were pure visual porn.

 

I totally agree that the sets and the costumes were really terrific but I was expecting that as it was part of the Downton product. I was hoping that everything would go a bit further. For example, they finally, finally add a small (and I mean small) plot for Thomas to have something in his life. Of course, they could have done that in the very beginning of the series because believe it or not there were gays living their life. I always found it odd that the writer chose to have one gay character in the series and have him adhere to the usual stereotype when they could have done so much more. But I have had that complaint since the beginning. And so with this movie, Thomas is off to the sidelines, leaves for all practical purposes, and then is given a kiss and a card to be most of his life. The other characters do not fare much better. I suppose it is because there are so many of them and then more are added.

[BgMstr4u]

IMHO the problem with the movie is that every character, major and minor, has a following, and so they felt it necessary to create a subplot for each one. Too many moving parts. I think a better way to go would have been to pair up the Dowager Duchess with the Queen for some stiff backbone and upper class quip competition.

[+ tassojunior]

That pretty much sums up everything I have to say about it.

As if the series were any better?

 

I would love to see "Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey" though (if the BBC had imagination).

[harlow]

I think if you're a fan of the show as I am then you liked the movie like I did lol

[thickornotatall]

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Fnews%2F976%2Fcpsprodpb%2FA9FB%2Fproduction%2F_107051534_kiss.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fentertainment-arts-48352059&tbnid=eXNoxBka7T7kkM&vet=12ahUKEwizid7H0rTpAhU1SzABHdnlCxAQMygBegUIARDzAQ..i&docid=Q1UJD_IrKM6RvM&w=976&h=549&q=the%20man%20kiss%20on%20downtown%20branson&ved=2ahUKEwizid7H0rTpAhU1SzABHdnlCxAQMygBegUIARDzAQ#h=549&imgdii=e9Yo0kE1vDOvAM:&vet=12ahUKEwizid7H0rTpAhU1SzABHdnlCxAQMygBegUIARDzAQ..i&w=976

[+ g56whiz]

As if the series were any better?

 

I would love to see "Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey" though (if the BBC had imagination).

No. Too gruesome. Pesky Blinders would eviscerate Downton Abbey well before the end of the first round.

[+ poolboy48220]

I chatted with my neighbor about it, he liked the parody (Saturday Night Live?) where they said the whole movie was about cleaning the house.

 

But yeah, this was two hours trying to cram in some little bit for the whole extensive cast. I liked it, but I do love the show. I would've sworn the young girl was going to be Imelda Staunton's lover, not daughter.

[+ Snbrd]

I was happy to see the characters and scenery that I missed since the series ended. Belgravia on Epic is also written by Julian Fellows.

[BuffaloKyle]

A sequel will be coming out this Christmas.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/downton-abbey-2-set-for-christmas-2021-release-dominic-west-joins-cast/ar-BB1fOrpO?ocid=uxbndlbing

[Bargara Leatherboy]

I got to see it finally, as it was shown on a channel here prior to the Duke’s Funeral,which was at midnight local time on saturday night.

 

So I recorded it, and watched it yesterday.

 

As a fan of the series I thought it was pretty awesome, Barrow got to experience what gay life was like at the time, secret clubs that got raided.... and a future of romance with a nice man.

 

I was happy with it

[TruthBTold]

I got to see it finally, as it was shown on a channel here prior to the Duke’s Funeral,which was at midnight local time on saturday night.

 

So I recorded it, and watched it yesterday.

 

As a fan of the series I thought it was pretty awesome, Barrow got to experience what gay life was like at the time, secret clubs that got raided.... and a future of romance with a nice man.

 

I was happy with it

 

They had one gay character to play around with and in 6 or 7 seasons (if I remember correctly) they introduce one and of course he is the stereotypical evil, scheming, fearful person. They could have had a gay character who is a generally nice person who was looking for love under the circumstances during the decades in which Downton Abbey took place and maybe even find someone who he could love. These people did exist. Of course, they chose not to do this. That is one of the marks I had against that show.

[CuriousByNature]

They had one gay character to play around with and in 6 or 7 seasons (if I remember correctly) they introduce one and of course he is the stereotypical evil, scheming, fearful person. They could have had a gay character who is a generally nice person who was looking for love under the circumstances during the decades in which Downton Abbey took place and maybe even find someone who he could love. These people did exist. Of course, they chose not to do this. That is one of the marks I had against that show.

I found him to be clever, witty, and sort of vulnerable. Yes, he schemed, but it seemed to come from a place of loneliness - having to always look out for himself because he never truly believed that others cared about him. Plus the anxiety of harboring a huge secret about his orientation likely would also affect his personality.

[TruthBTold]

I found him to be clever, witty, and sort of vulnerable. Yes, he schemed, but it seemed to come from a place of loneliness - having to always look out for himself because he never truly believed that others cared about him. Plus the anxiety of harboring a huge secret about his orientation likely would also affect his personality.

 

I agree with you that the Thomas presented did come from a place of loneliness, lack of confidence, etc. However that was the writers fault. I guess my point was the producers/writers had the chance to present any gay character they wished (not all gay people were necessarily like that) but instead they decided the one gay character would be the stereotypical lonely, conniving, fearful one they chose.

[jgoo]

A sequel will be coming out this Christmas.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/downton-abbey-2-set-for-christmas-2021-release-dominic-west-joins-cast/ar-BB1fOrpO?ocid=uxbndlbing

 

 

I am thrilled to hear this. I don't see any mention of Maggie Smith being part of it and in the last movie I recall her character telling Mary she had a terminal illness so perhaps she won't be around. If that is so I will deeply miss the Dowager Countess of Grantham as she was one of the characters I most enjoyed. Nevertheless I will wait with bated breath for this to come out later this year.

[down_to_business]

I am thrilled to hear this. I don't see any mention of Maggie Smith being part of it and in the last movie I recall her character telling Mary she had a terminal illness so perhaps she won't be around. If that is so I will deeply miss the Dowager Countess of Grantham as she was one of the characters I most enjoyed. Nevertheless I will wait with bated breath for this to come out later this year.

 

Per US Weekly:

 

"The show’s entire principal cast, including Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Michelle Dockery and Hugh Bonneville, will reprise their beloved roles while Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West will join the fun for the first time — though there’s no telling what their ranks in the household may be."

 

Hopefully they are right.

[CuriousByNature]

Maybe this one will be set in 1960, with everyone gathering to fete the Dowager Countess on her 120th birthday... LOL.

[kingsley88]

So interesting! I know Dominic West has been cast for the next season of The Crown as Prince Charles. I wonder who he'll be in the downton abbey 2 movie.

[BgMstr4u]

I agree with @TruthBTold about the gay character issue. BUT... I love the show, for the character and story, high class soap opera as it may be, but especially for its unmatched production values. The sets. The costumes. The attention to every smallest detail, from the table settings to the accents to the antimacassars to the cars to ... well, to be honest, Maggie Smith. I hope she survives this episode and continues on. Forever. Vivat!

[thickornotatall]

Matthew !

[+ g56whiz]

As if the series were any better?

 

I would love to see "Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey" though (if the BBC had imagination).

The Abbey would be utterly trounced, destroyed by the Blinders. But not to worry. Now that Helen McCrory has passed on, that match up is unlikely to happen.

[+ g56whiz]

These people did exist. Of course, they chose not to do this. That is one of the marks I had against that show.

Do you really think "those" people existed in sufficient numbers in rural Yorkshire? Unlike Thomas. most had fled to the big city.

[+ WilliamM]

I agree with @TruthBTold about the gay character issue. BUT... I love the show, for the character and story, high class soap opera as it may be, but especially for its unmatched production values. The sets. The costumes. The attention to every smallest detail, from the table settings to the accents to the antimacassars to the cars to ... well, to be honest, Maggie Smith. I hope she survives this episode and continues on. Forever. Vivat!

At least the show featured a gay character, whom I found interesting especially in the feature film. Yes, Thomas was presented as a relatively one dimensional character for a long while. Perhaps that is because gays were seen that way by straight people back then.

[BgMstr4u]

I agree, @WilliamM. That there is a gay character at all is a good thing. I think there was almost no such thing as a gay person accepted for what he/she was back then, living a life publicly in a gay relationship. At best a seemingly normal relationship for public purposes with other interests pursued on the side in private, rigorously protecting the public marriage-and-family: “Oh, Dickie is such a dear, so kind to Charlotte and he just adores the children. And he has so many friends down in town.” That sort of thing. Not hypocritical, because that sort of person was often personally and financially capable of both kinds of love. So much easier if you have money. For a working class person, much, much more difficult. In fact, more or less impossible. E.M. Forster’s Maurice puts that class difference so well.

 

Of course, the person with the power in the above scenario is Charlotte. Upper crust British women generally always have understood that. Marriage then was not a simple matter. Decency and respect and circumspection were taught and learned and expected and practiced. Much to be said for that, in this present age of romantic narcissism. Diana and Charles are Exhibit A: The Victims. Uncontrolled self-centeredness. Lack of focus on the larger picture. Inability to read and play the cards in their hands, as it were. Her Majesty and Philip are Exhibit B: The Grownups. Getting through it and building something stronger. Not that being gay was in their mix, but the dynamics are the same when Something Else may be going on.

 

I think that to write what we would consider a “normal” gay character into the script would be a serious violation of historical accuracy, a major anachronism, something Julian Fellowes seems very careful not to do. But I await the new episode. It is show business after all. And we’re all so woke now.

Edited April 21, 2021 by BgMstr4u