Historical dramas are one of my favourite genres and this means, I am a huge fan of the popular Julian Fellowes' film —Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022). This recently released movie is a sequel to the first film titled Downton Abbey (2019) and both are continuations of the television series of the same name.
I have always admired Julian Fellowes' works and Downton Abbey (series and movies) is one of his best. He wrote and directed the television series, and wrote the scripts for the films while some other persons directed the films. All Downton Abbey fans will definitely agree with me on this.
Fans have been anticipating the release of this sequel which was earlier fixed for December 2021 but later shifted to March and then May 2022! The wait was almost unbearable but worth it.
*[Source: YouTube](https://youtu.be/kkR_ojK6Q1E)*Change
Following the first movie, this sequel is set to take place in 1928, a modern time when compared with the TV series set before the first world war. In this sequel, I can say the theme is centred around change and divided into two plots. First, viewers witnessed the change in the film industry from silent to talking movies. Actors had to make a big career change by learning their script and speaking in movies or they became obsolete.
Another interesting part of the storyline is the issue of inheritance. The Grantham family adds another beautiful villa located in the South of France to the lists of properties they already owned, thanks to the Dowager's idyllic fling with a French man when she was younger.
This part was particularly amusing to me as some of the characters went on an investigative hunt to know how the villa came about. It set a tone of fascinating mystery in the movie.
One fascinating thing about Downton Abbey right from the TV series is that there's always some mystery to be solved in every season and every sequel. I was not disappointed with this sequel. Was the mystery resolved? You will have to watch the movie to know more.
The Departure Of The Matriarch
Maggie Smith, a popular English actress, played the part of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, the main comic relief in the films. Her lines are always direct, straight to the point, funny and full of wisdom! One great line she spoke in this sequel,
"You don't need me to tell you marriage is a novel, not a short story; full of plot twists along the way."
I believe you will agree with this statement.
After the first film, viewers had wondered whether or not she would appear in the sequel. As it turns out, her departure was well-timed and played in this film.
The funeral scenes were touching. The characters said their goodbyes, it was so sad. A whole village gathered to bid farewell to one of their anchors and matriarch.
Review
Bravo! I commend the film creators and Julian Fellowes' for another well-done film in this franchise. Viewers are entertained with beautiful scenes and a lot of information which are perfectly fitted into the two hours and five minutes. I felt some scenes were rushed but all the same, the actors and creators did great.
I love how the characters evolved. The issue of class segregation was not as obvious as it was in the TV series. The servants interacted easily with the lords and ladies upstairs.
There are questions as to whether there will be another sequel but I feel this sequel properly closed the chapters on all the characters. Releasing another sequel will be stretching the story too far and they may lose the audience.
I'm definitely going to watch this movie again. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Images are screenshots from the movie and the cover image was edited by me using Canva
