Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (PG)

Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, and wife Cora enter the 1930s with trepidation and sadness following the passing of the Dowager Countess. Upstairs and down, staff must embrace change to remain relevant during a period of political and social upheaval across Europe, Meanwhile, Lady Mary is caught in the eye of a scandal with the potential to tarnish the family's closely guarded reputation.

LondonNet Film Review

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (PG) Film Review from LondonNet

Julian Fellowes’ lavish period drama comes to a heartfelt and gushingly sentimental conclusion with a third big screen instalment directed by Simon Curtis, which struggles to conjure up enough satisfying drama and intrigue to fill two hours of gorgeously lit screen time. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale teases pomp and majesty with its sweeping subtitle but the script divides its cheerios across a pedestrian running time, interspersed with biting one-liners for which Fellowes and his chocolate box creation have become rightfully renowned (“The hereditary system can’t afford to be sentimental!”)…

The screenwriter can’t resist an in-joke using Mr Molesley (Kevin Doyle) as his mouthpiece. In the second film, the butler unexpectedly tastes fame by working on a film script and in this third instalment, he pursues this new vocation and ruefully observes how actors often get the credit that should be reserved for behind-the-scenes talent. “In many ways, the writers are the real stars of cinema,” he notes, patting himself on the back.

Maggie Smith’s absence is keenly felt although Penelope Wilton steps into the fray with a few biting asides. Otherwise, Curtis’s picture is cosy, comfortable and entirely predictable fan service down to the heavily signposted betrayal within the family ranks that is casually brushed under the antique rugs for the sake of a dewy-eyed resolution.

The Crawleys step into the 1930s with trepidation following the passing of the Dowager Countess. Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), and wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) prepare to hand over the day-to-day running of the estate to Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) until news of her divorce from Henry Talbot stains reputations. “This really is the night that shook the world,” whispers Daisy (Sophie McShera) as she prepares to fill the void left by soon-to-retire head cook, Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol).

Daisy’s husband Andy (Michael Fox) anticipates his promotion now Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) has left the house to work as a personal assistant to actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West) and Mr Carson (Jim Carter) is semi-retired. Visitors to Downton dwindle, for fear of being associated with a divorcee. Cora’s brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) arrives regardless bearing his own terrible news but dashing companion Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola) is a pleasant distraction for Lady Mary as she reluctantly accepts her social pariah status.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is a polite farewell peck on the cheeks for fans who have gallivanted around the fictional Yorkshire country estate since 2010. Multiple departures from the ancestral home assiduously target tear ducts but casual viewers, who are unburdened by characters’ tangled histories, won’t be troubled by potential saltwater deluges. “They are quite hearty with each other,” naively observes one character about Barrow’s closeness to Dexter. Curtis’s film is quite hearty with us too.

– Jo Planter