Downton Abbey

Avid fans of the titular PBS dramatic series will likely relish this big-screen addendum, while others will probably wonder who these people are and why the audience adores them. Conceived by Julian Fellowes, the 52-episode TV series spanned a 14-year period (1912-26), set in the titular 300-room British country house (filmed at Highclere Castle). It is now a year later for aristocratic Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), his American heiress wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), their eldest daughter Mary (Michelle Dockery), her beleaguered sister Edith (Laura Carmichael), and their Irish Republican widowed brother-in-law Tom Branson (Allen Leech). The extended family includes the acerbic Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) and her equally tart nemesis, Isobel Merton (Penelope Wilton). And they are tended by a battalion of devoted servants: recently retired head butler Carson (Jim Carter), new head butler Barrow (Robert James-Collier), ladies’ maid Anna (Joanne Froggatt), valet Bates (Brendan Coyle), housekeeper Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), footman Molesley (Kevin Doyle), cook Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), and her assistant Daisy (Sophie McShera), among others. Everyone’s a-twitter when King George V and Queen Mary send word that they are arriving for an overnight visit, which will involve a luncheon, a parade, and a formal dinner. Traveling with them are Lord Grantham’s estranged cousin, the enigmatic Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), and her devoted maid (Tuppence Middleton), leading to an inheritance battle. Director Michael Engler gives everyone his/her own mini-crisis and catharsis—with proper manners and utmost civility, of course—drawing on the trials and tribulations of England’s inherent class system, which still exists despite anti-monarchist grumbles. Elegant and endearing, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Michael Engler, cast conversations (17 min.), deleted scenes (6 min.), and the behind-the-scenes featurettes “The Royal Visit” (3 min.), “Welcome to Downton Abbey” (3 min.), “True to the Twenties” (2 min.), and “The Brilliance of Julian Fellowes” (2 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a series recap (10 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this big screen film that is likely to appeal to fans of the TV series.] (S. Granger)