User reviews

Lovely to see the cast back again. Script and acting as good as ever. But this film was spoiled for me by the choice of director. In my opinion he just doesn't understand the essential appeal of the piece. Cut, cut, cut.......formulaic and totally out of keeping with the Downtown magic. Such a shame.he has turned this into just any old film rather than embracing the Downton feel. The whole thing feels a bit like a pastiche. Pace is all wrong and it lacks the period feel of both the tv series and the previous film. The whole effect is rather mechanical and lacking in charm which is a real pity.

Set in 1928, following the wedding of Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) son-law Tom Branson (Allen Leech) to Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton), film company British Lion sends a request to Downton Abbey asking to produce a film using Downton as the location. While Lord Grantham is not keen on the idea, Lord Grantham's eldest daughter and agent of the estate Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) convinces Robert to approve the idea due to Downton's roof being in dire need of repair. As Downton reluctantly welcomes the film production to the estate with some members of the household staff excited while others repulsed, a discovery comes to light that Lord Grantham's mother, Dowager Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) is the owner of a villa in the south of France that was willed to her by a late acquaintance of hers Marquis de Montmirai which has continued to be used by his surviving wife and son. As the Crawley's, except for Mary, head to the villa at the request of the current Marquis, Robert soon finds reason to question his legacy and lineage.

Following the release of the first Downton Abbey film in 2019 wherein the $20 million production grossed $200 million worldwide, creator Julian Fellowes sated he and the cast had ideas for further continuation. After Fellowes finished working on The Gilda Age, Fellowes wrote the script in 2020 and following various work arounds for COVD protocols in 2021 the film began production. Released in 2022, the film didn't deliver the same numbers as its predecessor making $90 million against a $40 million budget, it was seen as a success overall due to the nature of the cinema landscape favoring blockbuster tentpoles while adult skewing material such as Downton went to streamers. As a film it's very much in line with the first Downton Movie where it's a chance to revisit the characters and world audiences fell in love with in the TV show.

As with the previous film, Downton Abbey: A New Era is a very busy film with many things going on in both major plotlines and individual character moments so once again it's pretty much like you're watching an episode of the TV series except on a theatrical budget. The two major plotlines are both very rich with the filming plotline playing as a clever culture clash with elements of Singing in the Rain as we see this silent melodrama filmed at Downton need to be retrofitted into a "talkie" due to the rising popularity of talkies in the wake of The Jazz Singer. The movie production crew colliding with the ordered world of Downton is somewhat similar to the royal staff rolling over the Downton Staff from the previous film, but there's enough differences that it doesn't feel like we're retreading ground. The secondary plotline involving Violet's inheritance of the French villa does stretch disbelief to an extent and does risk going into "soap opera" territory, but the writings strong enough that it avoids that pitfall.

If you enjoyed the TV series and the previous film, there's enough here to motivate longtime fans to indulge in a viewing. It's a very busy movie but it never feels overstuffed and most of the plot lines and revisits of characters hit instead of miss.

Fans of the tv show and earlier film will get the most out of this, with plenty of dangling plot threads deftly picked up and woven into a satisfying series of resolutions.

There's plenty of strongly emotional moments here. It plays like one of the Christmas specials but more so, and combines an appropriately high stakes 19th century historical family mystery with an examination of an industry on the cusp of a revolution, as metaphor for Downton and the Crawleys doing their best to survive in a changing world. Hints are given how they will manage it.

This is not the place to start with Downton, and the movie assumes wise viewers know that. With so many characters, with so much history, the audience are given not so much introductions as little reminders.

As is traditional, Maggie Smith gets most of the best lines, but there are no weak performances. There's even a scattering of wisdom here and there among the drollery and drama.

High-class soap-opera-like Downton Abbey: A New Era should be called what it really is: high-class melodrama. Here is a rambling story with too many characters, but who cares? Because it's told so well with each character clearly defined and loveable.

After the binge-worthy six-sessions TV series in the early 2010's, the 2019 film, with its visit from royalty, held up well enough to spawn this sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era, in which the aristocratic Crawley family is crawling into the 1930's, with The Great Depression, wars, and innovations imminent. The film creates a vitality even in a staid Brit world largely because of a robust screenplay and spot-on actors. Not to forget drone shots of the impossibly cinematic estate.

In fact, no melodramatic villain appears, if you exclude the arch-disturber, Change. Writer Julian Fellowes and director Simon Curtis have crafted a rousing fable about a new era as it approaches the third decade of the 20th century through the lens of a visiting Hollywood production to the Abbey.

Marry that modern incursion to the hidebound Brit tradition and you have a sentimental farewell to the old world, signified by the sharp-witted Dowager Countess Violet (Maggie Smith), who is ready to pass the estate and a newly-added villa in the south of France to the younger Granthams. A formidable subplot is the change the Hollywood production itself must face as sound trounces silent movies and same-sex relationships emerge, galaxies away from our modern acceptance of sexual orientations.

The most moving scene is when the production learns it has to create a sound track in order to continue filming. Watching them sync the sound (dubbing so to speak) to the actors for the first time since they saw Jolson say a few words in The Jazz Singer is just as if we were in a time machine witnessing that monumental change almost 100 years ago.

Downton Abbey is a state of mind, not a place, where our dreams of upper-class blissful isolation clash with the realities of life both for the rich and the poor. Throughout is a benign sense of humanity's essential goodness and our common bonds. Cinema has brought us together in time and sympathy-see A New Era in a theater with its glorious visuals and commanding sound-We've come a long way, Baby.

The plot interweaves two stories - one is an intriguing surprise about Lady Violet's past, the other is a more standard "new things happening at Downton", but at least it's better than the visit of the King and Queen that passed for a plot in the first movie.

Several characters have a fitting closure - Molesley's was a bit of a surprise, but not too forced; ditto for Barrow.

Acting is good as usual, and the new characters fit in nicely with the tried-and-tested cast. Scenography is top notch.

I'd definitely recommend it for fans of the TV series, and for those who were disappointed by the first movie.

What a masterpiece! I'm a fan from the series and I must admit that seeing the cast all together for all these years so happy and cheerful is a true blessing and we all must be so grateful. I went to the Movie Theater today and everyone was enjoying so much! People were always laughing at Maggie's jokes and commenting on each scene... it's pure excitement. I have no words to describe my love for Downton Abbey.

'Downton Abbey: A New Era' (2022)

Opening thoughts: Absolutely loved 'Downton Abbey' throughout its run and still do when watching repeats, so well made, written and acted (how could it not be with that cast) and not too demanding. It was always one of my most-anticipated programmes every year with each season and more often than not was a yearly highlight. Also enjoyed the first 'Downton Abbey' film a lot, it wasn't perfect but was a charming and entertaining piece of escapism that succeeded in many areas.

Was absolutely thrilled hearing that there was a follow up and 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' was seen without hesitation when it was finally available. And you know what? 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' was every bit as good for similar reasons and also a charming, polished and entertaining piece of escapism that doesn't try to do any more than necessary. It isn't perfect and is a little disappointing compared to the show, with the mistakes the first film made being repeated, but so much is also done right.

Bad things: 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' has its problems. The editing is a bit too abrupt at times, especially towards the end of scenes when ends of conversations jumped to scenery shots which made the film feel a little jumpy. Like the first film, there are a number of subplots and characters and again this reviewer couldn't help thinking that there were too many and some of them were too under-utilised. Especially when in the Riviera. A longer length of 15-20 minutes would have helped it and made it feel less like a season's worth of film.

Furthermore, it was sad that Nathalie Baye and especially Brendan Coyle have practically nothing to do, which is pretty criminal.

Good things: However, so much is good. It looks absolutely great, very sumptuous and clearly done with a lot of polish. Reminding me of what makes me love period dramas so much. Downton looks imposing and a feast for the eyes, like its own character, and its elegant interiors brings back fond memories of visiting national trusts. The photography is beautifully framed, the costumes evocative of its period and the scenery takes the breath away. The stunning French Riviera vistas stealing the show. The music avoids over-scoring and intrusion and the hypnotic main theme hasn't lost any of its magic. The direction is controlled and doesn't feel too television bound, opening up the drama enough. Sure, the arrangements may not be true to period but the music choices are very nostalgic.

Writing is witty and heart-warming, the disdainful put-downs and one liners from Violet really standing out. The story is not too dull and does compel, entertain and warm the heart, despite being over-crowded. Everything that happens at Downton is immensely charming and a lot of fun. The ending is incredibly touching and loved the 'Singin in the Rain' (a favourite of mine) influence. The cast are near-uniformly good, apart from the waste of Baye and Coyle. Michelle Dockery and Hugh Dancy are charming, Elizabeth McGovern is moving and Laura Haddock and Maggie Smith are uproariously funny.

Concluding thoughts: Concluding, not great but very well executed on the whole.

7/10.

The Crawley family returns once more! Downton Abbey: A New Era brings all our favorite characters together again in interesting circumstances. Fans will love what's in store in this new film.

Downton Abbey: A New Era focuses on the secret past of the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith). She comes into possession of a property in the South of France. Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and his family head to France to investigate why the villa was given to his mother. Meanwhile back at Downton, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) hosts a crew of filmmakers and actors who use the estate as a set for their new film.

It's so incredible to return to the Downton Abbey era and the Crawley family. Each one is out of their comfort zone in this new movie, which is absolutely hilarious. Lady Mary becomes a voice actress temporarily and seeing Robert hate the film crew for taking over his property is as funny as possible. The Crawleys have seen the times change and preparing for cinema to take over is amazing. It makes audiences realize how this generation saw life change so rapidly. Tom Branson (Allen Leech) is happily married and some new couples flourish in the film too. It's beautiful to see how much the characters have changed since the first time we met them in 2010. This movie focuses on relationships and characters that we haven't seen that often. It's refreshing to watch the pure relationship Daisy (Sophia McShera) and Andrew (Michael Fox) have and I loved watching fan-favorite Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) chase her love. The wardrobe is as spectacular as ever, even adding some Victorian pieces for the film being madet at Downton. The comedy is brilliant and cunning, reminding us why we love Violet as much as we do.

There are many messages to take away here. Lady Mary learns to embrace the new era of filmmaking and life as she gets out of her comfort zone and realizes that it's okay to try new things. Lord Grantham learns that, even though being Earl and having property is a big part of his life, it is not everything. He realizes how important his family is to him.

I give Downton Abbey: A New Era 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18 plus adults. It releases in theaters May 18, 2022. By Heather S., KIDS FIRST!

I have been an avid fan of Downtown abbey the tv series and films it has always been beautifully filmed capturing a time long gone this movie is no exception. However I did find the script and storyline of this movie is below par and quite predictable which saddens me to say! Same top class cast that delivered as always I will always enjoy watching just this time the script was dissapointing imo ! Dame Maggie Smith is a legend and Downton will miss her in any future offerings.

Downton Abbey has achieved another goal: it stands on its own in film cinema , as well as in television series production.

For those who have followed the series from the beginning will not be disappointed with the latest offering of Downton Abbey "A New Era"! Julian Fellows is a very clever writer . Both upstairs and downstairs. A delightfully charming British drama.

Downton Abbey continues to prove that perfection in music composition(The music score in this movie by John Lunn with the Downton theme is sublime) , writing, acting, wardrobe, directing, producing, cinematography, set design, location and casting, and in the finest attention to the minutest detail and period accuracy.

If you're a Downton fan there is no way that you can miss this film! It unashamedly pulls at the heart strings as the story takes you on a journey of highs & lows with some unexpected turns.

They took a kind of breezy sit-com plot, about a movie being made in the Downton Abbey house, combined with a side-story about Maggie Smith inheriting a French villa from an ex lover, and split apart the rich and poor characters to where neither can do very much to help either story along...

For instance, Carson is the most against the movie production company disrupting the house, so they send him to France where he basically does nothing. Wouldn't he be better batting heads with the studio? God knows, that would have made for a terrific episode...

As for the overall drama/melodrama that the series is known for, there aren't too many shocks or surprises except for a searing epilogue, a few near-trysts along the way and, not counting a semi-intriguing history lesson about silent film stars fearing the introduction of "talkies" (already known from Singin' in the Rain), it's in one ear, out the other, and without any necessary tension or conflict...

Ironically, up on the big screen, the characters seem much smaller, somehow, while the director doesn't savor the larger-than-life beauty and elegance of Downton or even France for that matter...

Then again, for lightweight comedy, it's not a bad 90-minutes: Just don't except A New Era to equal the terrific British series that, for the most part, feels far too "Hollywood" here.

As a Downton fan, I couldn't have wished for a better film. Whilst I enjoyed the first one, this is on another level entirely, don't know if it's bigger budget, or everyone was more relaxed after the success of the first, but there's pure joy leaping off the screen.

To go into the story would spoil it, so I won't, suffice to say if you enjoy Downton you will love this.

Film snobs will no doubt call it schmalzty, but for me it's two hours of absolutely fantastic escapism... Highly recommended.

I always try and avoid watching trailers or other spoilers for movies that I know I am going to watch, so this film was much more engrossing and emotional than I expected it to be!

It is definitely worth seeing in the cinema, as the cinematography, music and sound is very well done and best experienced on a grand scale.

Overall, it makes a nice change to see such a nice pleasant film and a change from the usual generic super hero movie.

Downton Abbey - A New Era

It was great!

This was very much a movie for the fans, and it very much felt like the end of road.

In the last movie the King's visit provided the central focus of the plot, here we had a less focused shooting a movie at Downton and the family inheriting a French villa.

To my mind I enjoyed the movie making but the villa story was quite a bore as it proved to be all a lot about very little.

As with any movie that wants to dot the i's and cross the t's at the ending of a franchise it necessarily becomes sentimental and self-indulgent. I think overall this element was handled brilliantly and we had an emotional rollercoaster.

I'm giving this a firm 7 outta 10, I'm a major fan so it's probably is a firm 6 lol.

I haven't watch the TV series outside a few random episodes I walked in on but this movie still managed to engage me right from the start. The humour is great, the acting is phenomenal and there are many emotional moments throughout the film. This film makes me proud to be British.

It's a perfect example on how to do strong female characters. For some reason Hollywood's method to creating strong female characters is just give them characteristics typically associated with men. This film manages to have strong female characters while actually keeping them female. Not only that but it's also the perfect example on how to include gay characters without it feeling forced.

I love that this is a film about making a film. I especially love how the film basically pokes fun at the entire industry. As someone who has worked on film sets, this movie perfectly depicts the behind the scenes of filmmaking. The sound guy in this movie is my favourite character since I have met many sound guys and they pretty much all act in the exact same way he does.

True to form, the Abbey is showing its age. On the surface, it seems to be the same monument to class distinctions as seen in the beginning. But the place has aged along with its upstairs and downstairs occupants. Many promised character developments have been realized, but the big one remains in the air, dangling like a lure on a fishing line: the promise of a revitalized, reshaped aristocracy or class structure. The final episodes of the TV series indicated that such is inevitable, but in this film, it is forgotten. In its place is a curious notation about the new game in town: filmmaking. Warning: if you like "Singing in the Rain," you may cringe a little at one of the major plot points. Though not a waste of time, the film did not encourage me to return to the original series. That must wait for more of an invitation.

The title of "Downton Abbey: A New Era" pledges that change has arrived at the Grantham family's mansion after six seasons of television, a previous film and a zeitgeist shift that has caused a chunk of the show's original audience to start regarding its characters' generational wealth with disgust and relish, as though it were a wheel of rotten Stilton. The stately series that began its story with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 has now arrived at the tail end of the 1920s. The choppy waters of modernity are materializing on the horizon. To stay afloat, this amiable sequel decides to ever so slightly democratize itself: The upstairs-downstairs division that has long separated the estate's masters from their servants begins to leak. So does Downton Abbey's roof, which motivates Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) to rent the cash-poor estate to a team shooting a silent film - makers of "kin-ema," as Lady Mary's father, Robert (Hugh Bonneville), calls it, disdainfully mispronouncing the name of the art form. (The moviemaking plot point may have been inspired by real life: The franchise's shooting location, Highclere Castle, which resembles a vampire bat's underbite, opened its doors to the show after Geordie Herbert, the Eighth Earl of Carnarvon and Queen Elizabeth II's godson, realized that dozens of its rooms were rotting.) Downton Abbey: A New Era takes us back to those familiar faces, but it's clear from the first bars of that gorgeous, rousing theme music that things are a little different this time around. The establishing shots of the house and the surrounding estate make the place seem so stately and grand that I actually gasped when I beheld them. The 2019 film was directed by Michael Engler, who has spent more than 25 years helming episodes of TV shows like My So-Called Life, Sex and the City, and, yes, Downton Abbey. Not, I hasten to add, that there's anything wrong with that. There were some excellent sequences in the first film, especially its dynamic opening scene. But it looked like an episode of television, specifically an extended episode of Downton Abbey., the acting, the emotion of the film was the best I've seen since the first episode of Downton Abbey in 2010.

Thank you Maggie Smith.

Second outing based on the popular TV series. As the thirties approaches a film crew offers a lot of money to film at Downton much to the disgust of Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) but excitement of the staff and the dowager (Maggie Smith) mysteriously inherits a villa in the south of France which Lord Grantham and co visit.

Whilst this has a pretty unlikely plot, if you like the series you'll thoroughly enjoy this warming experience driven by the many popular characters that have been so loved over the years. There are a lot of little support stories going on here as well to allow everyone something to do and possibly the suggestion that this might be the end of the day for this famous English families stories. Who knows.

If you don't know Downton and obviously don't know the characters it seems unlikely that you'll get much out of it.

I've not seen but 2 TV episodes but the acting, screen writing/dialogue, and overall execution was just astounding. Maybe I'm biased about the foregone era of the empire so if that doesn't appeal to you, then it may be just an average movie. Regardless, I think this movie is best seen knowing nothing. If you're expecting special effects, shallow dialogue or attitude here any, don't see this movie. There's just so much substance with these actors.

This feels as if Julian Fellowes turned in the script for an 8-hour series, but was told by the producers to go away and shrink it down to a 2-hour movie, but to lose none of the plot elements.

It never gives any of the major parts of the story, or any of the potential couplings, or the newly-discovered skills of our main characters, a real chance to be seen to grow.

The new high-profile supporting cast members - in England or France - aren't given enough backstory or chance for us to understand their characters fully.

Of course the cast are brilliant, the locations amazing, the banter as sharp as ever.

However I feel this whole story would have been so much better as a series. As a film I think it fails.

After reading many glowing reviews of this one I've decided to give it a chance. I left the cinema very disappointed. For me, everything about the film is very mediocre at best. The script is full of wooden dialogue, with silly and simplistic love stories, the idiotic plot about inheriting a lush villa in France only to show it for about 30 seconds... The acting is mediocre or even bad. The only good thing about this film are the costumes and the authentic, beautiful mansion where it takes place.