The Choral Review: Not Even a Typically First-Rate Ralph Fiennes Can Make This World War I-Set Drama Sing

It’s hard to avoid the feeling that you’re sitting in a venerable West End theater while watching the latest cinematic collaboration between director Nicholas Hytner and screenwriter Alan Bennett. The pair’s previous films — The Madness of King George, The History Boys and The Lady in the Van — were all adaptations of Bennett’s stage plays, and while The Choral stems from an original screenplay, it feels like it would be right at home at the Theatre Royal Haymarket or the London Palladium. Although in that case, it might have been hard to assemble its top-flight cast including Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Mark Addy and Simon Russell Beale.

Set in a fictional Yorkshire village in 1916 during World War I, the film, you won’t be surprised to learn, concerns a local choral society whose ranks have been decimated by its male members having gone off to war. This proves a particular problem with the planned production of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, which has just been canceled after “their Jesus went and joined up.”

Since the choir master has also recently enlisted, the society’s chairman, wealthy businessman Alderman Duxbury (Allam), recruits a wild card as a replacement. He’s Dr. Henry Guthrie (Fiennes), a former organist turned conductor, who has just returned to England. Guthrie has several strikes against him: He’s spent the last several years in Germany and tends to favor German composers, which doesn’t exactly sit well with the town’s population considering the current conflict; and, although it isn’t really discussed explicitly, he’s gay.

Despite his star billing, Fiennes doesn’t appear until about 20 minutes into the film, and then often disappears for long stretches at a time. As is the case with so many British ensemble dramas, or in this case comedy-drama, The Choral divides its attention among a multitude of characters: Duxbury’s genial sidekick Joe (Addy), a photographer who takes pictures of the boys in uniform, which in some cases may be their last; Mary (Amara Okereke), who sings while collecting money for the Salvation Army; 17-year-old boys Ellis (Taylor Uttley) and Lofty (Oliver Briscombe), who are one year shy of being eligible for enlistment; and Mrs. Bishop (Lyndsey Marshal), the village prostitute with the proverbial heart of gold.

Then there’s Bella (Emily Fairn), who’s desperately anxious over her MIA boyfriend Clyde (Jacob Dudman). When Clyde surprisingly returns, alive but missing one arm, he promptly joins the choral society, which, don’t you know, provides soothing comfort in the tumultuous times.

There are even more supporting characters, making for an unwieldy narrative as the film attempts to give each one of them their due. The resulting hodge-podge proves only fitfully compelling. More problematic are the frequent shifts in tone that keep The Choral from being engaging as either comedy or drama. Even Fiennes, who delivers a typically expert, understated performance, doesn’t manage to make us fully invested in the stagey proceedings.

Speaking of stagey, there’s a wonderful cameo from theater veteran Beale, who, much as he did in the recent Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, swoops in for but a few minutes and manages to steal the film. He plays Edward Elgar, whose The Dream of Gerontius becomes Guthrie’s choice for his inaugural concert. The venerable composer’s consternation at becoming aware of the many changes planned for his beloved work provides one of the most amusing scenes.

The film has been given a handsome production, with Hytner deftly conveying the period setting and eliciting excellent performances from the large ensemble. And, of course, there is some beautiful music to be heard. But it’s not enough to make The Choral feel like much more than a particularly well-appointed episode of Masterpiece Theater.