DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE

Review: This final instalment of the Downton saga follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. Mary faces a public scandal set to change everything while the family faces financial trouble.
Director: Simon Curtis
Actors: Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Dominic West, Paul Giamatti, Alessandro Nivola, Allen Leech, Michael Fox, Joely Richardson, Sophie McShera, Robert James-Collier, Phyllis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Raquel Cassidy, Arty Froushan and Jim Carter
Year: 2025
Genre: Drama
Conclusion: 3/5
All of the Downton Films (Downton Abbey 2019, Downton Abbey: A New Era 2022) can be traced back to the success enjoyed by Julian Fellowes 2001 period piece, Gosford Park. This is the third and final Downton film. This film fulfils all the expectations you would have of it and there are no real surprises in this. I did find that 2 hours a bit too long and halfway through I found they were struggling with the storyline. I would even say that the direction in the first half of the film comes across as rather wooden. It was very clever to include the Noel Coward storyline and this did help to keep the viewer interested. The actor I enjoyed seeing the most was Allen Leech, and I found the lines he delivered were very moving. I thought he outshone the rest of the cast. I loved spending time with these people. It was like seeing old friends. I did have a tear in my eyes with the last scene which is handled brilliantly. I almost wish the film was that good all the way through. Having been with Downton Abbey for 15 years, overall I came away satisfied and I was not disappointed. This film is dedicated to the late Maggie Smith. She seems to be present throughout the film and Julian Fellowes allows her to steal the show for one last time at the end.