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DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE – Review by Susan Granger

Susan Granger , , , , , , , ,
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After six television seasons and three feature films, if you’re still an avid Downton Abbey fan, you certainly won’t want to miss The Grand Finale.

Set in Britain in 1930, scandal erupts when news of the divorce of Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) becomes a public scandal leaving her humiliated with a social stigma, much to the consternation of her sister, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), mother Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) and father Lord Robert (Hugh Bonneville), Earl of Grantham.

Shortly after, Cora’s American brother Harold Levinson (Paul Giamatti) arrives with his enigmatic financial advisor, Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), to inform the aristocratic Crawley family of his financial misfortune which directly affects the monetary status of Yorkshire’s majestic Downton Abbey.

Meanwhile in this upstairs/downstairs saga, time moves on in the modernized world. With the death of Violet, Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), forthright Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton) is chairing the County Fair and retired head butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) has been replaced by former footman Andy Parker (Michael Fox) who does things differently.

Witty writer Julian Fellowes has cleverly created and cast such fully realized, socially stratified characters that it’s completely credible that Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) should come to visit Downton, accompanied by actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West) and his ‘companion’ – former footman/valet – Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), and – having heard Mary’s divorce story – be inspired to write the comedy Private Lives.

Director Simon Curtis continues the bittersweet vibe as head cook Ms. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) leaves the kitchen in the capable hands of former scullery maid Daisy (Sophie McShera); Mary’s loyal maid, Anna Bates (Joanne Froggatt), is pregnant; while former valet Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle) has become an avid screenwriter.

And leave it to widower Tom Branson (Allen Leech) the former family chauffeur who married the late Lady Sybil, to unravel slick Sambrook’s backstory.

So as Lady Mary concludes, “Long live Downton Abbey.”

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is an elegant, endearing 8, playing in theaters.

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Susan Granger

Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at R.K.O., M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures; her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M. As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O'Brien and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism. During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic. Her newspaper reviews have been syndicated around the world, and she has appeared on American Movie Classics cable television. In addition, her celebrity interviews and articles have been published in REDBOOK, PLAYBOY, FAMILY CIRCLE, COSMOPOLITAN, WORKING WOMAN and THE NEW YORK TIMES, as well as in PARIS MATCH, ELLE, HELLO, CARIBBEAN WORLD, ISLAND LIFE, MACO DESTINATIONS, NEWS LIMITED NEWSPAPERS (Australia), UK DAILY MAIL, UK SUNDAY MIRROR, DS (France), LA REPUBBLICA (Italy), BUNTE (Germany), VIP TRAVELLER (Krisworld) and many other international publications through SSG Syndicate. Susan also lectures on the "Magic and Mythology of Hollywood" and "Don't Take It Personally: Conquering Criticism and other Survival Skills," originally published on tape by Dove Audio.