Film Review – The Choral (2025)

      The Choral, 2025.

      Directed by Nicholas Hytner.

      Featuring Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Amara Okereke, Simon Russell Beale, and Thomas Howes.

      SYNOPSIS:

      The male members of a choral society join the fight in World War I, prompting the dedicated Dr. Guthrie to seek out teenagers. Together, they find joy in singing while the young boys confront their upcoming military conscription.

      The Choral marks director Nicholas Hytner’s fourth film collaboration with acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Alan Bennett, following The Madness of King George, The History Boys, and The Lady in the Van, all adapted from Bennett’s stage plays. However, this film represents an original work crafted specifically for the screen, making it Bennett’s first original screenplay in decades.

      Set in the context of the First World War, the story revolves around a struggling choral society in a small Yorkshire village, lacking male voices due to many locals being drafted. Ralph Fiennes portrays Dr. Guthrie, a gifted choir master brought in to assist the remaining members and some unlikely new recruits in preparing for their annual performance.

      On the surface, The Choral is a quintessential British feel-good film, perfectly suited for a Sunday afternoon viewing with family over a cup of tea, embracing themes of courage, resilience, and community amid sorrow and fear.

      For the most part, this is indeed the case, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. Despite some snobbery surrounding such films, they serve a purpose and resonate with audiences. A feel-good narrative not only offers a pleasant experience but also infuses a negative world with much-needed positivity and joy.

      However, The Choral has deeper layers than it initially seems. Its most powerful moments arise from quiet reflections, such as wounded soldier Clyde returning home to find his girlfriend Bella has moved on, choir pianist Horner facing judgment for wanting to enlist as a conscientious objector, or Guthrie learning of his German lover’s death just as the choir celebrates the sinking of the very ship he was stationed on.

      Guthrie is a contentious figure in the village, an atheist who has spent time in Germany with some of Europe’s finest musicians, showcasing his love for the arts without borders. He shows little interest in overt patriotism, humorously depicted in his eye-roll during the choir's national anthem performance, with his homosexuality also heavily implied. Despite the film’s strong British essence, it doesn’t disparage Guthrie’s views but rather understands and empathizes with them. It presents the conflict in a nuanced manner, even among the same small English village residents.

      This film focuses not on the war itself, but on those left behind; individuals who must strive to maintain a sense of normalcy while suppressing their fears. Teenage boys Lofty and Ellis emerge as particularly intriguing characters, continuing their lives as they await the day they will be sent to the frontlines. They contribute many charming moments, especially when young Lofty experiences his first sexual encounter the night before he leaves home, a scene that balances humor with poignancy.

      With a rather straightforward aesthetic and an unremarkable score by George Fenton, The Choral doesn’t present a visually stunning experience. The ensemble cast carries much of the narrative; a blend of promising newcomers (with Jacob Dudman as Clyde delivering a standout performance) and seasoned actors (Roger Allam, Mark Addy, and Alun Armstrong could easily inhabit their roles). Guthrie may not pose the greatest challenge for Fiennes, but his subtle performance fits the character well, adding a touch of realism to a cast of eccentric figures.

      While The Choral doesn’t push boundaries, it may not elicit the tears it aims for, or deliver the triumphant finale it aspires to achieve. Nevertheless, it stands as a touching, hopeful, and at times genuinely funny film that celebrates the strength of community, kindness, and the power of art itself.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Dan Barnes