This is the second feature film inspired by and featuring the same cast as the acclaimed television series, “Downton Abbey,” which I have never seen.  But after an initial period of confusion I liked the first film, and I like this one as well.  Not being familiar with the characters and their relationships — and there are an awful lot of characters and complex relationships — it again took awhile before I was comfortable enough with what I was watching to enjoy it instead of trying to piece it together as it played out in front of me.

Simon Curtis’ film, written by Julian Fellowes, the creator and screenwriter of the series, jumps around a great deal in the first half with brief scenes and vignettes that will undoubtedly mean more to the series’ fans than they did to me.  Lady Violet Grantham (Maggie Smith) inherits a villa in the south of France, and a troop of Grantham and Crawleys is sent to inspect the place and determine if the inheritance is factual.  Meanwhile a film crew descends upon Downton Abbey to make a movie, which becomes fraught with problems.  But eventually everything is sorted and fluffed and folded to everyone’s content.

The film really comes together in the second half, as the Brits in France come closer to learning the truth about Lady Violet’s mysterious romance, and the film crew tries to overcome its issues at the Abbey.  I was really impressed with the ingenuity and passion brought to bear by the Downton families and staff to finish the film properly, especially considering how much of a headache the experience became.  I’m a sucker for stories where a community comes together to solve a problematic situation and this certainly qualifies on that score.  Cinematically, the scenes in the second half are longer, more dramatic and more effective.  While the film does not have the impact of the first one, except near the end when death finally touches the manor, it is certainly an enjoyable and flavorful film.  John Lunn has once again delivered an exquisite score, and Julian Fellowes’ script delivers life lessons in the gentle, sublime manner that I think the series’ fans would expect.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  27 May 2022.