Downton Abbey

As someone who has never watched the series, I unexpectedly enjoyed the film's conclusion. Downton Abbey is a great piece of work in terms of costumes, cinematography and music, but most importantly it also works as a collection of small and large stories of twenty characters, each of whom gets a chance to shine. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes tragic, and then poignant, but it holds together beautifully and is very enjoyable to watch. (12/09/2019)

Julian Fellowes must have been sound asleep while writing the screenplay; there's no other way I can characterize the immense positive force that emanates from the film. Tears welled up in my eyes like a true fan from the moment the establishing shot of the estate came on with the crescendoing music, but it was only in the fading end, where even sad news is delivered with a touch of optimism, that I realized how uniquely the unforgettable stories could come to a close. I will definitely not complain about an exaggerated happy ending or an implausible symbiosis between the upper class and the servants, and I will give one more wave to my great favorites, especially the at last mature, stable, and adorable Lady Mary. (15/10/2019)

Although I rank Downton Abbey as one of my favorite series, I only recently got to the final season, and I was really curious about the movie, as the series sufficiently wrapped up all the storylines. The film forms the decorative icing on top of an already very delicious and high quality cake, and offers in abridged form all the aspects that made me watch the series. Once again, we the opportunity to immerse ourselves for two hours in the premises of a lavish estate and experience with its inhabitants episodes from their lives, which are not lacking in romance, humour, intrigue and suspense. I have to praise the creators for devoting the necessary time to each of the characters even in such a small space. I was most entertained again by the plain-spoken Countess Dowager, and was amusing to watch the interaction between "McGonagall" and "Umbridge" on screen. Of the plot lines, I was most interested in the "battle" between the Donwton and royal servants, Thomas' story and the relationship between Maud and Lucy. Over the course of two hours, I both moved, entertained and impressed by the wonderful audio-visual aspect, which never tires, and while the whole thing may seem cheesy in the end, I am still exceedingly grateful for this return to Downton. (17/09/2019)

I’ve always had a high opinion of the series of the same name. I’m really fond of stories that are set in large English estates, featuring a division of people into those above and below the stairs. But I wasn’t very impressed with the film. The whole time, it felt like a kind of extension, the individual characters gradually appearing to fill their slots, so the only thing I appreciated was Tuppence Middleton. There was no real substance, and all those inevitable, happy endings were just too much for me. I added the third star just out of courtesy. (02/03/2020)

A suitably lavish spectacle to a time long gone that will probably never return. We can only thank all the filmmakers involved for the opportunity to reminisce nostalgically about the characters that the loyal viewers and lovers of Downton Abbeyliked so much a few years ago. (75%) (21/02/2022)