Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), the estate manager for Downton Abbey, receives a unique request one morning from film producer Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy) who is seeking locations for his new silent film, The Gambler. Offering a handsome price for use of the space, Mary agrees to let the production use the home for a few weeks much to the chagrin of Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and Charles Carson (Jim Carter). The dissenters, however, are able to travel to Southern France to meet with the family of the late Marquis de Montmirail who had left a sprawling villa to Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) in his will after the two shared a – presumably – lusty affair with each other in their youth. 

Making the jump from the small screen to the silver screen for the second time Downton Abbey: A New Era is a continuation of the popular television series which follows the days and lives of the residents and staff at Downton. Simon Curtis directs from a script by Julian Fellowes, who also helps write for the show, in this Focus Features production. At 124-minutes, the film wastes little time getting started and never shows signs of slowing down. For newcomers to the series, or those just needing a refresher, Kevin Doyle, in character as Joseph Mosley, gives a quick introduction to the web of characters and their current state of affairs. 

With such a large cast, it is an incredible feat that the story remains so smooth and legible throughout its runtime. Even with no prior experience with the characters, the essential dynamics are all very clear and present throughout. Much of this can be attributed to the extensive work the cast has done together over the course of the six seasons on television. Surely there are details that go over the heads of the uninitiated, but it is not at all an alienating experience as many modern deep-entry franchise pieces tend to be. The tradeoff here is that many of the dynamics are very surface level, but it still gets the job done and it is able to play more widely by forgoing some intricacies with the characters.  

It is all working in favor of efficiency in the storytelling, here, which should be admired. There is very little, if any, wasted dialogue as Curtis navigates quickly through the pages of Fellowes’ script, and the two deliver a great balance between the UK and France sequences, and further the multiple character arcs. This is achieved because of the rapid-fire sequencing of scenes that never allows the camera to linger too long on any one area. It can be a little disorienting at first, but once on board with the flow of the narrative, the constant moving along of the plot is very enjoyable. A New Era is not looking to keep its secrets hidden for long, there is of course the central mystery of why Marquis willed the villa to Violet, but that is more of a guiding question for the rest of the narrative to operate around. Information is pouring out a mile a minute, but even if something is missed it is very hard to get too far outpaced by the narrative as it will carefully reinforce the necessary details to make sure all the payoffs land well. 

One of the more distracting things about the film, however, is how it looks. The colors are very washed out, especially in the sunny scenes, but even in the dim-lit kitchens and at nighttime, there is a luminosity that never quite settles in. The style choice presumably stems from a desire to give everything a touch of elegance and art deco shine. It makes sense in the overall production design, but it leans a little too far and the washout at times makes it, not hard to see what is going on, but it is definitely unattractive. 

For what it is, A New Era is a great success acting as an extended episode of the series. It is surprisingly welcoming to the casual audience while maintaining the charm and wit of the show. By treating it like its own standalone work, an independent period costume drama, the team behind the film is able to hit a wide audience, and while the demographic still leans slightly older, A New Era does not come off as pandering for approval. It tells a solid story in a textbook three-act structure, and it is that simplicity in construction that allows for the juggling of so many plot lines. The filmmakers are never looking to get one over on the audience and that genuine desire to just get behind the camera and tell an engaging story is evident throughout. The cast and the crew care deeply about the franchise and their audience who shares a mutual respect for the IP creating a relationship like few other properties are able to achieve.