By: Anton Massopust III

“Whatever it takes, Downton floats on,”- Lady Mary Talbot

The Crawley family heads back to the big screen. The new story from the wonderful PBS series Downton Abbey begins with the ex-limo driver, Tom Branson (Allen Leech) getting married. As the wedding concludes, a new storyline is introduced. Lord and Lady Crawley receive news from the Grand Duchess (Maggie Smith) that she has inherited a villa in the South of France. The Grand Duchess is unable to travel, so Lord and Lady Crawley go to investigate.  There is a mysterious secret that they uncover, and as mystery unravels, they are not sure they want to know.

Meanwhile, Lady Mary and the rest of the family have to find a way to repair the leaky roof, and the money to pay for it. As luck will have it, a film crew wishes to film a silent movie at Downton Abbey, but as the movie crew continue to finish their film on budget and on time, they find out that “Talkies” have more or less overtaken the silent film era, and they have to change with new technology in order to finish the movie. Everyone has to pitch in, and even Lady Mary has to dub the voice of one of the actresses. The family faces its final crisis when the Grand Duchess takes ill, and the family gathers around to face this as a new era begins.

Each of the characters goes through a different change to face the future and different things happen, so they can move on and have different lives. The cook gets proposed to. The Schoolmaster becomes a screenwriter and proposes to his girlfriend. One of the butlers gives his notice and leaves for Hollywood.

I love Downton Abbey the TV Show, the characters because they are kind and understanding and they have to adapt and change with the times. I love the idea of the villa and the film crew at Downton. The idea of the film crew changing from silent to talkie is fascinating. If you are a huge fan of the TV show, I suggest a double feature: Downton Abbey: The Movie followed by Downton Abbey: A New Era. I won’t tell you all the secrets, but I suggest you rent it for yourself. Both films are available on demand and on DVD. They are definitely worth watching.

Anton Knows

PERTH AMBOY – Check out Anton’s podcast “Anton Knows” on Buzzsprout and IHeart Radio.