A ‘warm hug,’ indeed

SGIFF celebrates its milestone 30th year this year and is part of a bigger and more beefed up edition of the Singapore Media Festival, which is holding its sixth edition.

Joanne Froggatt was not lying when she remarked that there’s something for everyone who would like to watch Downton Abbey, the film adaptation of the British historical period drama of the same name.

“I also met a lot of people who didn’t watch the show but have absolutely loved and enjoyed the movie. So I really think there’s something there for everyone and I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it,” she enthused before the screening of her film at Singapore’s magnificent Capitol Theatre last Friday.

She was among the headliners of the highly anticipated Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which opened on 21 November and will last until 1 December.

SGIFF celebrates its milestone 30th anniversary this year and is part of a bigger and more beefed up edition of the Singapore Media Festival, which is holding its sixth edition. (Watch out for interesting stories featuring popular Southeast Asian and Asian filmmakers and a Hollywood Oscar winner in the coming weeks in Daily Tribune).

Froggatt enthused that it has been a lovely experience for her to bring to life Anna Bates, a character she played for six seasons until the series aired its last episode in 2015.

THE show is the most Emmy-honored foreign television program in history.

“I hope you’re all going to get what we wish to give you which is to revisit these characters and this world, and which I believe we have elevated for the big screen. It looks beautiful. And anybody who loved the show will, hopefully, feel a warm hug after watching the movie,” she beamed.

Froggatt added, “It’s just so wonderful to get to go back and be together again and have a little reunion. We started to film the first season a decade ago. I’ve been together on and off for 10 years with such incredible group of people, to be part of this phenomenon that has changed our lives and touched so many people’s hearts. It’s just a dream come true. It’s very rare to be able to go back to a role and to be able to elevate it in the big screen,” she added.

Downton Abbey, the movie, was released in September in the United States and United Kingdom. It also got screening dates in the Philippines in the same month.

Admittedly, this writer has yet to watch a single episode of the six-season series. I’ve seen some clips on YouTube out of curiosity, but it has been bookmarked in my must-watch list (It’s both a boon and a bane to be deluged with so many movies and series to watch in an age of over-the-top or streaming services where watching shows is made quite convenient for people like me who have no time to sit down after dinner to watch anything).

Laura Carmichael as Lady Hexham and Harry Hadden-Paton as Herbert Pelham. INDIEWIRE.COM

And so I went to the theater not expecting that much but of course be dazzled with the costumes, hair and makeup of the 1920s, which was the setting of the movie that transpired after the last episode of the series.

Dame Maggie Smith is in the cast, and that’s a good sign because she has always been a magnificent actress in my book.

Without any expectations, I sat and waited to be entertained.

Dressed to the ‘20s. Festival officials and executives in their best outfits for the red carpet screening of “Downton Abbey” at the Capitol Theatre.

New viewers would immediately be drawn to the film without getting lost in the plot and side stories of the characters.

The movie’s premise is all about the visit of King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) to Downton Abbey as part of their royal tour. Naturally, the estate is delighted to host their king and queen but excitement soon turns into mishaps and the unraveling of age-old secrets that resulted in a comedy of sorts.

As a viewer who had no idea what transpired in the series, the film does not alienate non-fans. It is great that Julian Fellowes, the man who wrote the series, also penned the screenplay, so, he knows the material well and was conscientious of how he should adapt the story for a wider audience.

New viewers would immediately be drawn to the film without getting lost in the plot and side stories of the characters. Notably, and as I expected it, Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, is a standout with her sharp tongue. She gives the impression of an obtuse old lady but is actually quite the opposite. Her banter with Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton) is a delight to watch. Maud is the queen’s lady-in-waiting who happens to be her cousin with whom she had a falling out.

JOANNE Froggatt at the Singapore International Film Festival.

Perhaps the “warm hug” Joanne was referring to involves a scene with Smith and Michelle Dockery. Dockery plays the role of Lady Mary Talbot, her granddaughter by her son Robert (Hugh Bonneville), the 7th Earl of Grantham and lord of Downton Abbey.

This writer heard some sniffles from the audience from this bittersweet scene, which involved a conversation that tackled the future of the estate.

Aside from the issues of the lords and ladies, there’s also the battle that arises from the servants of the estate and from the traveling staff of the king and queen. Naturally, with two sets of staff in the household, a rivalry ensues. And this is where Joanne’s Anna and the rest of the wonderful staff of the estate butt heads with the imposing royal staff. Viewers should watch the comical resolution to this dilemma.

The screening of Downton Abbey at the SGIFF was just the start of a festival that promises a well-thought out curated list of activities for all cinephiles and basically lovers of pop culture in the region. There are more stories to be told, and expect a couple of it in print from our pages.