"Downton Abbey: A New Era"--Movie Review

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No matter what reviews may say if you are a Downton Abbey fan you will see this movie! It was one of the biggest audiences I have seen at The Gateway Theatre at a Friday matinee since before the COVID epidemic! (I am wondering how the crowd next Friday at "Top Gun; Maverak" will compare--I'll let you know!) Plus it is never too late, even if somewhat confusing to who is who, for a newcomer to be introduced to the goings and comings of a family and their servants. Upfront I must say I enjoyed this latest chapter of the aristocratic Crawley clan and their servants, a highly rated and watched series on PBS and a winner of their first made for movie theatres taking in a box office of $194 million though I have a few negative feelings the first being that this seems to been have made for TV where it could have run in 8-9 episodes covering all the multi part stories they tell here. The main story revolves around Dowager countess Violet Grantham, played by the perfect Maggie Smith, inheriting a villa in the South of France which brings up an episode in her past. There is also why she will be leaving it to her granddaughter while also bringing up the question of who really is the father of her son Robert. The latter with his wife Cora and a bevy of servants leave for France as the Duchess is to ill to make the trip herself. At the same time a film crew is invading Downton Abbey to film a movie in exchange to paying for the leaking roof. Throw in a possible romance between the director of the film and Lady Mary along with the change of silent movies to 'talkies' and the problems it may or may not cause the two stars on the movie. Oh yes, let's not forget the possible romance between the lead actor of the silent movie and the butler of the house. Throw in the wife of the man who left the Duchess the villa and her son's reaction to the inheritance and to who it was left to and why. And we haven't even gone into all the servant's problems and the bridge between them and the various Crawley family members or the retired butler's presence or the current butler's homosexuality or the former footman turned schoolmaster who is very knowledgeable about the new movie 'business' in the multi screen stories. While not a MUST SEE for those who aren't familiar with the Downton Abbey series it is a more than entertaining film with an excellent cast, some laughter, a few tears and an honest look of the division of the poor and rich in a period of English history, their changing of positions and adjustments made by both as the 20th century advances. "Downton Abbey: A New Era" is worth the money and time to see in a movie theatre!