Downtown Abbey

While it is true that you needn't have followed the series to grasp the movie (it is a one-off in a way), it'll definitely be immensely pleasurable if you have. On top of that if you have someone who has watched it to give you company. in my case, Tanisha Dhakephalkar, then the pre-movie excitement, during-movie comments and post-movie discussion has its own vibrant colour reminiscent of rang-pachami. We both collectively breathed in audibly when the music started.

The opening scene echoed the opening of S01E01: a letter being delivered at Downtown. That was beautiful.

Meeting all the characters, now slightly older, grown, but with the same charm was like a "welcome back to family". Umbridge v. McGonagall was excellent. It was nice to see Isobel get into form too. Daisy was a firecracker! Tom, Lady Mary were both cute. All the women's gowns were so classy!

The movie, was in its entirety, an extended episode. Several small arcs, all resolved towards the end with a hope for something more. I thought the last shot was a bit forced, and ending the scene on Downtown could have been more natural.

The end is pretty poignant, yet wistfully hopeful. The Dowager mentions she is going to die soon, and one can't help but feel sad that Dame Maggie Smith, like Sir David Attenborough are in their twilight years. Sigh. :_-(

Post movie, Tanisha mentioned how they had made Lucy Smith look so similar to Sybil. That was a great observation and a masterstroke on the story's part.

A wake-up call to Pranav Pawar who slept through the movie after promising to watch it sincerely. To be fair, he was filling in for somebody else. Should thank the E-Square recliners. There were only 8 of us in the theatre so we shifted on to the recliners. Though we had a nasty disturbance of E-Square attendants talking loudly behind us.

 

Rating: 3 Beards/5