The legacy of DOWNTON ABBEY is rather impressive, both as a television series and now a trilogy of films. DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE is the latest film in the franchise, and brings things to a rather effective (and satisfying) close in the best possible way.

The staff and family of Downton Abbey head into the 1930s as Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) deals with the fallout of her recent divorce, and how it affects her social standing. Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) are feeling the pressures of age and financial standing, and are prepping for a visit from family and influential friends, including Lady Grantham’s brother Harold (Paul Giamatti), who is dealing with some major money problems. While the family is handling their issues, the staff of Downton is also evolving as Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) is getting married and passing the torch of leading the cook staff to the young but very capable Daisy (Sophie McShera). Everyone is dealing with something that is either involving money or social events, all while things like horse races and formal dinners take their attention as well. It’s classic Downton drama, and it’s all building to major changes with the characters we’ve grown to know and love.

As is often the case with DOWNTON ABBEY, the cast is exceptional, and really giving it their all. Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, and Elizabeth McGovern get the majority of screen time here, but every supporting character is given a sincere moment to shine. Dockery always seems to be given the most dramatic scenarios in these stories, and this movie is no exception, with her Lady Mary dealing not only with a divorce and the shame it brings her, but also seeing the family go through major social and financial changes in a way that will alter dynamics forever. Hugh Bonneville reminds us how wonderfully he can play the matriarch of the family as Lord Grantham, a man who has grown tired of the stress put upon him, and may finally be ready to move on in a big way. Paul Giamatti is a welcome returning presence here as Lady Grantham’s brother, and his scenes with Elizabeth McGovern are really charming and sincere. His troubles also provide a significant bit of drama in an already packed story, but it works. Another welcome returning character is Dominic West as screen actor Guy Dexter, also serving as a reminder of the motion picture (within a motion picture) story from the last movie, and Allesandro Nivola does a good job as the mysterious and handsome friend to Giamatti’s character, who also becomes a surprising fling for Lady Mary. I could go through all of the cast one by one and talk about how solid they are, but there are so many characters here to keep up with, and thankfully they’re all handled well and given just the right amount of attention thanks to director Simon Curtis and his deft ability to balance large ensembles. I do want to highlight Jim Carter, who is my favorite character, Mr. Carson, the head of the wait staff. With his booming voice and teddy bear-like physique, Carter is (in my opinion) the heart of this story and he’s given some great moments here, especially in a scene where he and Lord Grantham have a heartfelt and meaningful private conversation about the future of Downton… it’s a standout scene in a movie filled with many of them.

DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE definitely assumes you know these characters well, and remember the various events they’ve found themselves in over the years. If you don’t know the franchise thoroughly, and this is your first exposure to the story, you’re likely going to be pretty lost here. But that one aspect is about the only weakness of the new movie, as passionate viewers of the material are give moment after moment of beautiful fan service that never feels forced or shoehorned in. Each character gets their time in the spotlight, including drama and stress, and eventually (in most cases) happiness. This is a film that helps close out all the story arcs in a perfect way, and could easily be considered the best possible ending to the concept… but it also wraps up in a way to where you could logically pick up on things several years later, should they decide to do so. The final moments leading into the credits even show us some clips through the years, and serves as a reminded of why we fell in love with these characters to begin with. As someone who didn’t discover this franchise until just a few years back, I can tell you that this final (?) chapter gave me pretty much everything I could ever want… a truly “Grand” finale.

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