Off to the local Odeon today, courtesy of a certain Meerkat, to see Downton Abbey – A New Era.
As Downton fans will already know, this is the follow-up to the first big-screen Downton outing in 2019 where the Crawley family and Downton staff received a royal visit from the King and Queen. Back then, I gave the original movie a (pretty-much unheard of) FIVE star review, so it’ll be interesting to see if this one lives up to its predecessor!
Details are thin on the ground, but from what I’ve read, it’s pretty much a direct follow-on timescale-wise, where the nation’s favourite acid-tongued and ‘Queen of sarcasm’, Lady Violet Crawley inherits a villa in the south of France. Cue, the mass exodus of many of the ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ staff for the next hovercraft to Calais, and then onwards to Nice! Meanwhile, back at the Abbey, the remaining staff have to cope with a film crew who have taken over the place filming a silent movie, threatened with the coming of the Talkies’. We also see a popular character from the Crawley family getting married whilst others get what they deserve – and one doesn’t!
If you like your period films with not too many surprises, this one will tick all the boxes although I’m not sure the title was an accurate description of what followed. It didn’t feel quite as ‘epic’ as the first outing back in 2019, but in terms of instant familiarity, it brought a warm glow to the cinema for the majority of its runtime. Julian Fellowes has always given the Downton Abbey narrative a strong sentimental and sugary-sweet side, and If I had one criticism, I feel it was a bit overdone this time round – especially towards the end. Still, no harm done and although all the remaining loose ends are tied up, there’s just enough room (just!) to possibly squeeze out another instalment in a few years! Go see for that nice warm cuddly feeling (but with possibly an extra couple of tissues handy).
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I’m no Samuel Pepys! If you’re looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you’ve arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it’s all done with love!
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