In this one, I wonder, did you have to draw on your theater background in order to work with such a giant ensemble? SMF: It's fascinating to me that, in your prior motion pictures, yes, while they are technically ensembles, they're also focused down to just a select few characters. It's sort of a wonderful escape for two hours from this wretched world we're living in, and it makes you laugh and it makes you cry. Do you know what I mean? I take my hat off to Julian, because he manages to write all the 20 stories of these characters with such consumer skill. SC: I liked the script, and you try and make every scene work as well as possible, and then you splice them all together and hope the film is greater than the sum of its parts. Julian's script was very focused, and I liked how there were these concise dual plot treads that were working with one another, so they could build toward a satisfactory conclusion. I still liked it, but I felt like it was still overstuffed. SMF: My chief criticism of the first film is I felt like it was trying to cram an entire season of plot lines into one movie. Also, not least of all, it got me out of lockdown. And, obviously, there was the attraction of working with these actors. That's just been the guide for every film I've done. So what was it that drew you to this second film? Sara Michelle Fetters: I can guess why you are interested in Downton Abbey, but I would never want to presuppose. Here are the edited transcripts of our brief conversation: I caught up with Curtis over Zoom for a quick chat about the latest goings on at Downton Abbey. The upstairs-downstairs melodramatics at Downton haven't felt this invigorating and, dare I say it, joyous in quite some time, making this a superior sequel and one of the more effortlessly enjoyable films I'll likely see this summer. #Simon curtis seriesIn this follow-up to the 2019 hit - itself a big-screen continuation of the long-running BBC television series - there is a noticeable uptick in emotional clarity that I found mesmerizing. Inspired by creator Julian Fellowes' screenplay, Curtis has taken the reins of Downton Abbey: A New Era, and his presence is immediately felt. Still, even with his wife Elizabeth McGovern playing the key role of Lady Cora Grantham, the director of My Week with Marilyn, Woman in Gold, and Goodbye Christopher Robin - not to mention popular BBC productions like Cranford and 1999's David Copperfield - has kept his creative distance. Simon Curtis is no stranger to the world of Downton Abbey.
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