Downton Abbey movie

Cafe Society
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We went to see Downton Abbey yesterday. We liked it. It was pretty much like the TV show, only the story was self-contained and resolved everything in two hours. Elizabeth McGovern looks old. She’s 58, but looks older. It was fun to see our favourite characters, and I wonder if there will be any more films. They didn’t exactly set the story up for another film, but at the end (spoiler ahead)…

… Maggie Smith’s character is revealed to have a terminal illness. They didn’t kill her off in the film, but there’s your handy explanation as to why she wouldn’t appear in a sequel.

Personally, I’d like to see a film where the Crawleys et al. live through the start of WWII. Or through WWII, though I don’t think that could be done in a single film.

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The movie was set in 1927, so setting a sequel just two years later could cover how they deal with how the stock market crash in 1929 affects their fortunes.

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Just saw it and thoroughly enjoyed. It was Fellow’s love letter to both his TV show fans and the peerage system. I thought they did set up for a sequel, and possible plot points were well laid out. I thought the way they set up Maggie Smith’s absence from future movies was well done.

Fun bit of fluff.

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It also, surprisingly to some, did well at the box office, topping both the new Rambo movie and the new Brad Pitt movie.

I saw a free sneak preview of it awhile back and liked it, even though I’ve never seen the TV show. I followed the stories and characters pretty well, though all the men under 40 looked alike to me. I have Regal Unlimited so I’ll probably see it again. I’m sure they’ll distinguish themselves a bit better the 2nd time.

My favorite people were the snarky mouthy old ladies (Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton & Imelda Staunton) and the cook in the kitchen. Speaking of, wouldn’t the entire staff have been fired for the stunt they pulled?

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I liked it. It’s basically just an episode of the TV series with more location shooting and higher profile guest stars. It was fun escapism. I really enjoyed Thomas’s subplot. He may be an ass, but as a gay man I can’t help but emphasize with him.

Like that moment when stepped into the warehouse nightclub and for the first time in his life he was somewhere were he didn’t have to pretend; I guarantee that was one of if not the happiness moments of his life so far. And then they were raided by the police and he only escaped being ruined because the cute gay royal backup valet had a get out of gaol free card. At least now he know’s about York’s underground gay scene and has someone to meet up with the next time he’s in London.

I do have an odd question about the royal visit that set everything in motion; did the Crawleys actually *invite *the King & Queen to Downton? :confused: Because the film gives the impression that they were just told out of the blue they’d be hosting royalty; one would that that in reality a courtier would make discreet inquires well in advance of the visit to find suitable hosts and have them invite the royal couple.

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Which reminds me: As we took our seats I looked around and thought, 'Geez, look at all of the old people! :eek: Oh, wait… :frowning: ’

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I asked a similar question about the etiquette of the royal visit in another thread. It seemed to be news to Robert Crawley that the royal couple were coming, so I don’t think he invited them.

And some comments about the real-life events. The Prince of Wales who was supposed to take the African tour is the guy we know as the Duke of Windsor, who abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. And the Queen Mary we saw was known for either stealing small valuables from country houses, or expressing such interest in such things that they were given or loaned to her.

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Bumped.

The third and final movie has been released:

And there’ll be a big auction of costumes, props and even a car:

Short video:

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I know nothing about this series other than, when I see the whole cast in a panoramic shot, they look like a bunch of snobby a-holes :laughing:

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It’s great. You’ll be hooked in one episode. If you catch it, give it a try.

I want to see the Finale. I’ll wait til its out. Not going to a cinema.

Do movies go directly to DVD anymore? Or streaming services?

(I found The Gilded Age. Fellowes American Downton. It’s good. Not great)

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It was nice. Predictable, but nice. At least this time Fellows had the Crawleys at risk of losing their seldom seen London pied-à-terre instead of Downton Abbey being at risk yet again . Also good for Thomas.

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That’s why I didn’t bother with it the first couple of seasons. I thought it was a glorified soap opera about snobs. But after a couple of episodes I was hooked. And a good amount of the show is about the working-class characters.

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Now LEGO has joined in:

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I got it into my head a few months ago to watch all of it. From Season 1 Episode 1.

My Dearly Beloved™ and I had both enjoyed it, and hadn’t seen the films. So off we went.

Completely delightful. The films were, well, their own animal in terms of pacing and whatnot. It was clear there had to be a Grand Summation and of course that was the last film. When closing off a timeline as long-running AND beloved as this one, one must make allowances for certain tidy storylines.

We enjoyed it quite a bit. Even the last film. The “NextGen” one was pretty well done.

Must admit, I see this as pure fantasy. We know nothing of the history of Great Britain and especially the English aristocracy around the timeline this covers. So, what was accurate is great and where liberties were taken, that’s fine too. It’s not a BBC-2 Docuseries.

When it was in its first run, I do remember getting quite caught up in the real life story of the family, especially the current woman, who owns Highclere Castle. (Location for all exteriors and main floor interiors.) In a Meta moment for the ages, signing on to let it be used as a filming location caused a torrent of £ to head her way. Life imitating Art imitating Life. Loved that bit.

For those who are deep Downton Abbey Nerds, I do have one very specific question:

In the entryway at the house, if you are entering the front door and the camera is positioned with its back to the…uh…Library?..and is facing that entryway, there are/were two IMMENSE cabinets. Not quite identical but close. Each had a bunch of large square leather-covered panels, as though they were drawers. They are just gorgeous. Never opened. Never referenced. Anyone know what those large bits of furniture were to have held?

I do remember that great care was taken when shooting inside of Highclere. As a Camera Operator of 45+ years, I’ve been in my share of tight and pricey situations.

Once, on Martha Stewart, we were in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shooting furniture of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Oh MAN did we have to move carefully. At one point I was to walk with my Steadicam on between two gorgeous and priceless sideboards, moving towards the back of the gallery space to see something else. We knew not to touch anything-- there were several Museum employees there for that.

I looked at the gap and said nope. These need to be much farther apart. Because, who wants to be known as the guy who chipped the corner of a 1728 pre-Revolutionary sideboard?

Not moi.