A satisfying addition to the franchise

When the teaser trailer to “Downton Abbey: A New Era, Which premiered last year, did not take the standard route of listing the cast for the film. Instead, the promo elegantly trumpeted the presence of Lord Grantham, Lady Grantham, et al. as if they were real people, with their names in a gilded font that suited the stately Roaring Twenties environment. Fans have spent six seasons and a movie with these characters, and even if they do not recognize the actor Jim Carter by name, they will politely clap their hands in joy when they see “Mr. Carson” credited. (As they should.) ‘A New Era’ gives each of these characters their right and stays true to what fans love with its distinctive charm and comfort while still managing to surprise.

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“Downton Abbey: A New Era” begins where most films of the same kind end: with a wedding. The camera pans up the hallway with more familiar faces than any actual ceremony I’ve been to, including my own. The recognizable piano and string theme has the intended Pavlovian response, and you instantly feel at home in this place, despite being set almost a century ago. It is now 1928, and modernity continues to draw on this ever-growing family and those they employ. Violet (Maggie Smithstill perfect here) is told that she unexpectedly inherited a villa in the south of France from a man she knew in her youth and Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), Tom Branson (Allen Leech), Edith (Laura Carmichael), and a wonderfully overbearing Carson takes the trip to investigate the matter. The ride feels a bit like the episodes of “Full house” and “Brady Bunch”Where families go to Hawaii, but with a real budget to showcase the grandeur of the surroundings.

Meanwhile, back at Downton, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) has allowed a film crew to come down to the mansion to make a movie called “The Gambler” that brings beautiful quiet stars (Dominic West, Laura Haddock) and an equally attractive director (Hugh Dancy) to their home. This page of the plot will not be surprising to anyone who has seen “Singin ‘in the Rainbut author Julian Fellowes somehow makes the case feel essentially Downton as Daisy (Sophie McShera) and the other employees are impressed by the glamor in their midst.

As it goes between these two plots, “Downton Abbey: A New Era”‘s biggest sin is how crowded it feels. An unknown viewer who falls into this tea party of a movie will feel lost as it does not really focus on one thing, and jumps from story to story. Edits and scene transitions often feel rushed, which does not fit with the inertia of the surroundings or the lives of these people (or at least the contingent upstairs). Fellowes and Director Simon Curtis ensure that each. single. live. character gets their moment (where even the dead get the inevitable cry). In the series, you could easily leave a minor character out of a section, but here there can be tumult, as you get this one chance. What would have happened if – gasp – Mr. Mason (Paul Copley) did not get his time in the sun? Would anyone have cared? (Sorry to him, but I had forgotten that he existed among dozens of characters over the years.) But for the same reason, one of the strengths of the franchise is its love for these people, even the seemingly insignificant ones. ‘A New Era’ is especially kind to a few who may not have seemed to have deserved this love in their previous appearances on the show, but it all feels so deserved and so surprisingly sweet. Fellowes’ arch-wit remains intact, and he restrains the course from feeling too sentimental, as the show occasionally did.

As the title suggests, ‘A New Era’ hints at the coming future, where the 30s – and World War II – threaten a not-so-distant future when power shifts within Granthams. The series has always been interested in how cultural upheavals affect this one family and those in their orbits, whether it is World War I, the Spanish sick or the evolving structure of class and society. However, the “action” in this film seems less affected by changes in the outside world than one might expect. Even the venerable Violet faces change with a shrug this time. It all gives an even cozier feeling of the course, which increases the level of comfort while lowering the effort.

Despite its pedigree, “Downton Abbey” remains the smartest soap – the kind that Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey use – but it’s still a soap. There is drama and dalliance, and it would all seem so silly if it were not for its framework, cast and budget. Some plot elements are so ridiculous that they serve as laughter, but Fellowes makes it so downright enjoyable that it’s hard to complain too much. Even though death lurks along the edges here, it still manages to be an enjoyable time. At times, there is a sense of finality in this excursion, but “Downton Abbey: A New Era” still somehow leaves audiences wanting even more time with this extended family. [B]