I suppose the strange thing about going to see the movie Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and the two previous films, the eponymous one and A New Era, is, as previously noted, that I never watched the television series.
But by this third film, I had become more familiar with the relationships. Robert Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) has decided to pass the property management to his elder daughter, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery). But then a “scandal” is revealed, making the transition more complicated. There’s a quick, funny bit about hiding under a staircase.
Meanwhile, the American-born Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern), Robert’s wife and Mary’s mother, had left her brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) in charge of their resources in the US, and apparently, he has made a mess of things, despite the assistance of his charming friend Gus (Alessandro Nivola). I’m a big Paul Giamatti fan.
Changes
One definite relationship change was between Lady Mary and Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael). Transitions are also taking place with the house staff, and at least one seems uncomfortable with letting go.
Katie Walsh noted: “With its mix of old characters and new, worldly upheaval and small-town drama, [Julian] Fellowes illustrates what ‘Downton’ has always done best, which is a social examination of how much things have changed and how they haven’t changed at all.”
This movie has fun sets away from the main venue, the theater district in town, and a horse race track. The whole film was a joy to watch.
And while she barely appeared, except in a large painting, the film created closure for the late Violet Grantham and her portrayer, the late Maggie Smith.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale received a 92% positive rating from the Rotten Tomatoes critics, and the audience was more enthralled, with 96% positive. The first film was 84/94 and the second, 87/97. This was a suitable ending, if it is the last word from this Julian Fellowes universe.
My wife and I saw the movie at the Spectrum Theater in Albany in late September. After it ended and the lights came up, most people remained in their seats, absorbing what they had seen. It was fascinating