Posted on 04/26/2022 7:11:45 AM PDT by C19fan
Back To The Future, Eyes Wide Shut and True Lies are fine examples of cinematic oxymorons - film titles which contradict themselves. And joining them last night was Downton Abbey: A New Era, which predictably plunges us straight back into Downton Abbey, the old era.
Downton’s creator Julian Fellowes did not get where he is today (the House of Lords, for starters) by denying his fans what they expect. So the new film, the second big-screen spin-off after 2019’s Downton Abbey, positively bursts with all our favourite ingredients, not least the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith) firing acid barbs through pursed lips, which is easier said than done.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I’d watch it just to see Dame Smith acting...
One thing's for sure...Maggie Smith (the Dowager Countess) and Gordon Jackson (Hudson) were beyond amazing...both were,by themselves,worth the price of admission.
But just as Upstairs II failed Downton II also deserves to fail.
Come on. I watched the 1st 3 seasons end to end. I could see a pattern. When one of the young rich ladies fell in love with the Irish chauffeur he just had to bring to the dinner table his militant opinions to his hosts. Manufactured tension. The show was making a statement under the guise of a ‘teachable’ moment.
That show came on the heals of Gosford Park and the Remains of the Day. The tensions of the haves and have nots. The ambience and the communication amongst the one percenters was designed to make us feel the lesser as well as the same.
PBS put it out. That’s all you need to know.
I gave up on the series when the gay butler got a pass. In that time period, homosexuality was against the law (ergo the trial of Oscar Wilde). No Lord, who was the political and moral leader of his fiefdom, would have supported someone who had violated the law in such degenerate manner. If they really wanted to shine a light on homosexuality at the time, they should have found him guilty and shown what happened to gay men.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReApJymYSiw
Friend and I never missed an episode, she at her house, I at mine. I even watched the marathon rerun one holiday weekend on small kitchen tv while preparing food.
Of course we went to opening night of the first movie and turned to each other at the end: “They left it at a place where they can begin a new movie.” Yippee! Made plans to see this new one: She’ll drive, I’ll pay for parking.
If you’re Uber-crazy about Downton, DVD of first movie available at AMZ. May or may not be free on Prime.
Big fan of Mary’s bitchiness. May she never change.
I didn’t give up on the series, but could never believe that Carson would tolerate a thief, gay or not.
Back in the Army a barracks thief was the lowest scum on earth. The were also quite clumsy, forever falling down stairs.
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