Written by: Julian Fellowes
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth McGovern
Rating: [3/5]
Titles carry power as they exist as the first form of communication with audience members. With something as long-running and prolific as Downton Abbey, the title of the latest film, The Grand Finale, sets the expectation of something to finally bring to an end a story that seemingly has meaningfully concluded many times now. As a result, we get both a movie that feels more like an episode and yet again still manages to deliver everything fans of this story love.
After recently divorcing her husband, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) faces the challenges of the societal faux pas of her actions. This leaves her and the rest of her family in a difficult position if they choose to continue to include her. At the same time, Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother travels to England from the United States and shares some unfortunate news about how he has squandered the family fortune.
Following a very successful series, the appetite for spending time with the folks at Downton evidently has not waned when in 2019 we received a lovely continuation in the form of a feature film. That film presented a conclusion befitting the story, but then more demand brought us a sequel in 2022, which also felt like a nicely tied bow on this entire overarching story. With each of these films, while I entered the viewing experience with skepticism, Julian Fellowes managed to continue to capitalize on the excellent characters he has crafted and has justified the existence of these films. With yet another one of these films bestowed upon us, Fellowes and his crew do it once again.
Picking up right where things left off in the previous film, this trilogy capper threatens the very existence of the Grantham family and the future of Downton Abbey as an estate. This occurs because of the introduction of Cora’s brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) and how he shares that the stock market crash unfortunately has put the family in a financial bind with tough decisions ahead if they want to maintain their lifestyle. Given these characters have never really needed to concern themselves with financial matters because of the large sums they possess, this puts them in an uncomfortable position.
In addition to this dilemma, the prevailing theme of this film lies in the need for change not only in the way these characters view the world but also in the necessary actions to move with the times. This family has managed to maintain a certain way of living and societal standing for so long, which makes it a bit comical when one of the major decisions laid before Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonnerville) is potentially selling their London home and downsizing. Oh, the horror they must face when others have much bigger problems to face. However, that comes with the territory with these films, but this general changing of the tides also appears in Mary’s life as a divorced woman. This mark would leave many ostracized from civil society, but the family is so reticent to change and tries in their own way to adapt to the new realities of the world. An easy decision, admittedly, that makes it easier when it impacts them directly.
The strength and weakness of this film lie in that it feels like a television episode. A compliment in the continuity of this overarching story but also a flaw in that it does not have the look and feel of a cinematic experience. For something dubbed as “The Grand Finale,” things just kind of happen in this film, and by the time we reach the conclusion, it confirms the title for this film does not fit the story we receive here. However, this criticism falls away when living in the story, and just as I have mentioned in the other films, I never need an excuse to spend more time with these characters, even if most of them have had their overall arcs played out a long time ago now. There still remains so much richness and much to appreciate.
Perhaps the final film and now these characters can be put to rest, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale does not necessarily feel grand, but it fits right into this grand story about the Grantham family and their estate. The characters we know and love receive one final chance to demonstrate exactly why we have grown to love them over the years. Again, like the other films, it did not need to exist, but I cannot complain about the entertainment these films provide.
Films with Josh 
