It’s time to say goodbye – and it couldn’t possibly be a more touching or beautiful send-off.
‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ is just that – grand in scale, grand in emotion, grand in hilarity and fun. It’s been 15 years since we met the Crawley family and their staff, and it has felt like a long, fruitful journey.
Plot-wise, this final film is another gentle entry into the Abbeyverse, there’s no trips to space, boss fights or global-scale chaos; it’s a close-up examination of a family who must learn to change and adapt to the world around them. We’ve reached 1930. . . Technology is on the rise and theatre and film are places of escape for the masses. . . But a divorced woman of high social status is a no-go.
Here, Lady Mary must traverse the treacherous landscape of a failed marriage, and what that means for her image and, by extension, Downton Abbey’s image, as it too faces a crisis of its own. These interweaving main plot lines – blended with the many smaller plots of upstairs AND downstairs – make for a pretty gripping and engaging two hours, but at the heart of all of the goings on, is the heartstring-tugging knowledge that this is our final goodbye.
Throughout ‘The Grand Finale’, bows are tied delicately on the stories of all of our favourite characters, as they are moved into the next chapter of their lives. This sense of farewell is tinged throughout the entire film, making it emotional at every juncture.
Production values are, as usual, off the scale. Downton is as glorious and immense as ever, while London’s 1930 streets are filled with glowing signs and majestic architecture. Costuming is stunning – one red dress in particular rivalling the wardrobe of the entire film – and music touches on elements of the series’ original score while giving it new, vast, cinematic life.
Stand-out performances come from the delicately savage Mary – Michelle Dockery – who here gets to show perhaps more vulnerability than we've ever seen. . . Laura Carmichael as Edith, with a particularly satisfying monologue and a fresh likeability. . . Hugh Bonneville as Robert, faced with a life-altering decision. . . Penelope Wilton as Isobel, as determined as ever to shake the table. . . And Sophie McShera as Daisy, whose character arc reaches a truly wonderful resolution.
The late Dame Maggie Smith, an iconic fixture in the franchise, is given an overwhelmingly emotional tribute. Her place in this universe is as solid as a rock, and this 'Grand Finale' truly drives that home.
Bring. Tissues.
‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ is for the fans. For those who have loved the show, the previous two films, and all the characters they’ve met along the way. It’s by no means an action-packed affair, but ‘Downton’ never was – its charm and allure always came primarily from its commentary on high society, one family’s adventure through time, and the ways in which they scaled the world as it changed around them.
It's beautiful – positively swollen with emotion, treating its entire cast of players with the utmost love, care and affection as we wave goodbye to them, one final time.
★★★★★
