The Choral

Perhaps seeing this on Remembrance Sunday was a mistake but it heightened the poignancy and ramped up the emotional impact of Elgar's music. I was in bits at the end!

Has all of trademark Bennett one-liners and asides plus Hytner's imaginative take- not always to my taste but it worked well here.

Great understated performances and ensemble playing as well as more intimate scenes that highlight the tragedy of this 'list generation'. I loved it and sat through the final credits to hear out the glorious music.

It's the summer of 1916, and the industrial town of Ramsden in Yorkshire is feeling the effects of World War I. When their choirmaster volunteers, the committee of the local choral society reluctantly recruits the controversial Dr Guthrie - German-loving, atheist and gay - to lead their efforts.

Led by a predictably titanic performance from Ralph Fiennes, the film's strong cast lead us through many of the varying complexities of life during the war with a combination of humour and pathos, taking - for the most part - a relatively light touch. That approach creates the film's major strength and its major weakness: in touching upon these issues without drawing them out, it keeps the focus on the music and the tone of the movie relatively pleasant and enjoyable; however, in introducing so many social issues and then failing to address any of them properly, it feels somewhat like the filmmakers chickened out of making the film they wanted to make.

The principal focus is, of course, the music, and this is (eventually) performed wonderfully, led by the impressive vocal talents of Amara Okereke and Jacob Dudman. The journey from the ragtag band of overinflated egos to the denouement performance is well-told, if a tad predictable.

The other major theme is the war, and here the film underplays its hand a little. Elements of it are touching, but - despite some serious injuries on display, a soliloquy on the hell of war from Clyde, and a conversation about "the things you've seen" - the impact of the conflict on the returning soldiers is mostly left unexplored. Clyde, for example, appears to be far more concerned about his lost love than any physical or psychological scars he bears from his time in the trenches. It seems singing cures all such ills.

Other social issues of the time, such as religion, class division, even prostitution, are mostly played for laughs. The film seems intent at some points on making a serious point about homosexuality, but having set itself up for this, it fizzles out without anything of substance landing. At various points the film also seems ready to embark on a treatise that there is more that unites Britain and Germany than divides them, but again seems to lose heart.

The result is a film that is pleasant, enjoyable, and very watchable, but which fails to land any meaningful blows on most of the issues it raises.

For such a stellar collection of talent this was pretty disappointing. It felt like a slightly weak episode of Downton Abbey.

If a gentle tale, well acted, in lovely scenery is what you're after on a Sunday evening at home, this is perfect.

But what potential spurned. A truly great cast that could have got its teeth into something very significant. The subject matter was there, it could have explored any number of angles. But it just pottered along. With no real tension or jeopardy. No rise and fall of emotion. Just...nice.

The possible tensions were everywhere. War, nationality, sexuality etc etc.

I get that it's fine to leave these as mere suggestions, but, boy, there was a great film to be made here. Shame that this wasn't it.

Having finished "Regretting You" where I was (uncomfortably) the oldest person in the screening, I walked straight into "The Choral" where I was (comfortably) the youngest person in the room. I think I appreciated aspect of the film, more than actually loving it.

During the first World War, with many of the men away at the front, the Northern Mill town of Ramsden are looking to revamp their choral society. Led by the Alderman and mill owner Bernard Duxbury (Roger Allam), the committee pick Dr Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes). Though talented and driven, Guthrie is a controversial choice as he's recently lived and worked in Germany, and his appreciation for the musical maestros of the country remains, despite the wartime opposition.

Within the scope of what I've written above there are dozens of smaller stories, some about class and respectability, some about love and fidelity in a time of shifting associations, some about loss, xenophobia, homophobia, the desire to get to the war and prove yourself, the hypocrisy of those who control it, the painful realities of who comes back and who never will. If anything, there is perhaps too much going on, too many little stories to service. Some are hinted at but never really explored, some filter out. It might have benefited more from being a Sunday evening BBC series, than a two-hour film.

The performances are never less than excellent though, as is the historical recreation - though finding a town like Saltaire to film in probably does most of that work.

I had no regrets whilst watching the film, though I doubt I'll plan to revisit it again any time soon.

All star cast (all on form), nicely produced, good dialog, rich cast of finely drawn credible characters, musical theme well developed, narative pacing and density pretty good.

Why a 6.5 rating? There were some clumsy, ugly and unneccessary elements: The sex (not explicit but hightly suggestive). A short Elgar appearance that was unpleasant and jarring that had the potential to be so much richer and edifying than the brutal iconclasty that seems more populist than anything else.

We liked it, good workmanlike effort. But won't be watching again or adding it to the collection of keepers.