The Choral Premiering at TIFF

Toronto – “The Choral,” a new World War I film featuring Ralph Fiennes, is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, where it also seeks to find a sense of harmony.

After two hours, you might feel scattered and perhaps a bit frustrated with some inconsistencies that pop up throughout.

Some of these moments are quite dramatic but not always persuasive.

We meet Dr. Guthrie (Fiennes), a choir master who has spent years in Germany before arriving at a small English village. His presence stirs up local tensions, especially since the village’s young men are off fighting in the war, while he quotes Goethe, seemingly out of step with the locals.

And then there’s his other “secret”—he’s gay and conceals the fact that his boyfriend serves in the German Navy.

Much of the conflict seems to arise behind the scenes, where good intentions meet uneven execution.

Anyone familiar with Britbox can see what director Nicholas Hytner and writer Alan Bennett were aiming for.

The story revolves around a group of working-class British individuals coming together to discover healing and compassion through music. This feels reminiscent of films like “Pride” or “Calendar Girls.”

However, the team renowned for crafting compelling theater often stumbles when it comes to filmmaking.

Their attempt to showcase the dissonance between half-developed characters and unclear ideas feels somewhat dissatisfying. Perhaps a better title would be “Choice.”

First off, what exactly makes Guthrie a genius? The choir is pretty decent upon his arrival, despite the absence of adult men due to the war, and it’s hard to see him making any significant improvements—think “Sister Act” or “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

He chooses oratorios by the English composer Edward Elgar, attempts to soften the town’s sense of patriotism, selects the strongest singers, and sometimes raises his voice at them. That’s more or less the film.

Fiennes exhibits strong command, though it’s distracting that Guthrie doesn’t appear to evolve much throughout the film. His background remains largely unexplored, and he really only reveals a hint of vulnerability in the final half-hour.

Interestingly, Fiennes delivered more impactful lines in last year’s “Conclave” than in this two-hour runtime.

In one of the film’s weaker moments, he awkwardly quips to a young soldier, Clyde (Jacob Dudman), who returns from the war missing an arm, saying, “The funny thing is, there are people who would give their right arm to do what you can.” It falls flat, met with an uncomfortable silence.

Speaking of Dudman, he should definitely consider more roles—his character brings some emotional weight to the film, perhaps giving the audience a chance to connect.

As for the rest, things seem muddled.

We learn that the 17-year-old soldier has been away, experiencing the ups and downs of adolescence intertwined with the heaviness of war, while older choir members, played by Roger Alamer and Arun Armstrong, grapple with their own fears about the future, all against the backdrop of a peculiar subplot involving local sex workers.

Yet, we don’t get enough depth to engage fully with their individual hopes and fears. Overall, the film feels hollow.

“The Choral” has a strong theatrical vibe, and it’s not hard to imagine it originally started as a play draft gathering dust somewhere. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like top-tier material.

Bennett’s previous work, “Allélujah!” showcased his struggle with themes of religion and melodrama, and here, his dialogue often feels overweight for the screen.

Meanwhile, Hytner directs as if he’s still at the National Theatre in London. The rehearsal hall lighting looks too stark, giving it an odd atmosphere.

Their heavy-handed approach reminds me of Elgar’s most recognized pieces—it’s all about dignity clashing with circumstances.