X
- 2019
- PG
- Focus Features
- 2 h 2 m
- 2019
- PG
- Focus Features
- 2 h 2 m
Summary The Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.
Directed By: Michael Engler
Written By: Julian Fellowes
- 2019
- PG
- Focus Features
- 2 h 2 m
- 2019
- PG
- Focus Features
- 2 h 2 m
Downton Abbey
64
6.8
Where to Watch
Summary The Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.
Directed By: Michael Engler
Written By: Julian Fellowes
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 42 Critic Reviews
64
60% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
38% Mixed
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
2% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 42 Critic Reviews
64
60% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
38% Mixed
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
2% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
There are some incredibly funny sequences, a few genuinely heartwarming ones, and so many plots it will nearly make your head spin. But that’s the Downton we know and love, and seeing so many familiar faces and dynamics is like visiting old friends for one more jolly reunion; you will smile throughout the whole thing.
The idea of knowing your place may be offensive, but the idea of having a place is appealing.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 94 User Ratings
6.8
72% Positive
68 Ratings
68 Ratings
12% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
16% Negative
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 94 User Ratings
6.8
72% Positive
68 Ratings
68 Ratings
12% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
16% Negative
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
A good job, which honors the original series.
After an excellent TV series, Downton Abbey finally arrives at the cinema, after much insistence from the fans. The film maintains a lot of the series and resembles an extended episode. So, I'm not going to go into too much, I think the criticism I made for the series is perfectly suited for this film.
The film takes up the story where the series ended in the late Twenties and revolves around a visit by the Royal Family to the Yorkshire region, where they will sleep and have a big dinner at the Crawley family mansion. For them, it is undoubtedly a moment of great anxiety and prestige, but for their usual servants, it will certainly be a headache and involve immense work, which everyone is happy to accept given the prospect of being able, in fact, serve the kings of your country. But as the Royal Family travels with a vast entourage of servers, the task will not be easy.
The cast that marked the series is back, both in the salons and on the service floors. I will excuse myself to nominate the actors, but I believe that they are excellent and deserve all the recognition that they had with this work of perfect historical recreation. Yes, because if there is one thing that is notorious in this film, as well as in the series, it is the care and attention to details and in the reconstruction of the time and the environments that were portrayed. Of course, the use of good filming locations helped to make the series (and the film) more realistic and authentic, and there is no doubt that Highclere Castle, the house used to bring Downton Abbey to life and, in real life, belongs to the Lord Carnarvon, you are perfect for that.
In addition to the excellent sets and costumes, the film has excellent production values: a very competent photograph with pleasant colors, a remarkable soundtrack imported from the original series, a good job of filming and editing.
The script, in addition to a good story, adds some developments to the personal history of the characters we've been following since 1912: this was probably the farewell to Countess Violet, played by Maggie Smith, as well as Carson, the immortal butler who, for the last time, return to activity; Tom Branson looks ready for a new page in his life; Tom Barrow, for his part, is finally a pleasant character and worthy of our sympathy, after an entire series in which he was a villain and made a long journey of atonement. I will not say more, it is best to see the film. Worth it.
Is this the farewell to Downton Abbey? After several seasons on TV, in one of the most addictive and elegant television programs of the decade, and a film full of quality that, certainly, pleased the diehard fans of the series, it is difficult to say. I personally would like to see more, but only if the quality of what comes to match the material already made. I wouldn't want to see Downton Abbey drag on and lose quality just because of fan pressure or industrial interests. There is a correct time to end. But only the future will tell if the Crawley mansion doors will open again for us.
Report
Through all the skillfully juggled subplots, the overarching conflict has always been the family’s quest to keep hold of Downton Abbey — and thus preserve their role as the heart of the community, envied and adored by all — while also keeping up with the march of modernity.
With a plot focus on the exotic, ever-more anachronistic Edwardian manners and mores occasioned by royal protocol, it’s like a crossover episode with "The Crown."
Yes, it’s basically an episode of the show stretched out to two hours, but like the Crawley family silver, it’s so polished you can practically see your face in it.
Yes, the 84-year-old Maggie Smith is back as the Crawley materfamilias, and as ever she’s the MVP.
Julian Fellowes would have been far better off writing another relaxed Christmas special to satisfy fans.
I will not spoil it for everyone, but best 2 hours of fabulous characters, beautiful costumes, wonderful estates, best watching since show’s final episode. I laughed, I cried, meet King George V and Queen Mary! Who, as we all know is Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather. Her uncle David was the King who abdicated his throne, her father became George VI. Her mother was Queen Elizabeth also but was Queen consort, not Queen Elizabeth II, monarch. Oh, enough I say. But movie was so, so, good. Tied up all of the things that I wondered about for the future of the Wonderful Crawley family! I am crossing fingers and toes for a Christmas at the Abbey! Sometime in a few years.
Report
Downton Abbey is not without its flaws, and even ardent fans will likely have things they wished were handled differently. If they don’t end up making another film or series in ten or so years depicting the next generation of Crawleys on the eve of World War II, everyone is bound to be disappointed. But on the whole, this is a respectable, largely satisfying resolution to a show that charmed audiences for years.
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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(Mauro Lanari)
A quite cloying sociologism, very James Ivory style, more unctuous than sumptuous but not worse than "Parasite".
Report
Watching this movie reminded me of a 20-year high school reunion. If you had seen the TV show, it was like meeting your old high school friends, talking for a few minutes, catching up, and then ready to move on. If you had never seen the show, it was like the spouse of the person who went to the high school. You didn't know anyone and nothing happened that made you ever want to know anyone. You just wanted to leave.
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Production Company
Universal Pictures,
Comcast,
Focus Features,
Perfect World Pictures,
Carnival Film & Television
Release Date Sep 20, 2019
Duration 2 h 2 m
Rating PG
Tagline We've Been Expecting You
Awards
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
• 3 Nominations
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
• 3 Nominations
Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
