There’s a line in The History of Sound, currently in cinemas, where a character offers two choices on how to deal with life’s troubles - “you could get sad, or you could sing about it.”  That same theme is at the heart of The Choral, the latest collaboration between director Nicholas Hytner and writer Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George, The History Boys).  They share an identical setting too with both trying to find a glimmer of happiness against the backdrop of World War I.

Set in a fictitious England town, Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) plays Dr Henry Guthrie, an experienced conductor recruited to lead the local church choir.  In the eyes of many within the conservative community, he arrives with metaphorical “baggage” as he recently spent time working in war-torn Germany, he doesn’t believe in God, and he’s a homosexual.  Wondering how he got the job? He was the only man with sufficient skills who hadn’t been conscripted into the army.

Fiennes adds star power and has the most screen time, but The Choral is best described as an ensemble piece where the supporting characters are equally important.  I speak of the townsfolk, both young and old, who are using the choir to fulfil their own needs.  Some see it as a place to find comfort among friends, some have stumbled into a romantic connection, while others use music as a form of catharsis to forget the horrors of war.  It’s a considered approach by Bennett but in juggling so many subplots, they don’t all get the attention to resonate with full emotion.

The Choral is “fine” but I’m not sure I can use a more superlative adjective.  It’s well-intentioned but trying too hard.  As an example, Bennett adds repetitive humour by having Guthrie annoy his superiors with German references, but the set-up and the subsequent response feel too scripted.  I had a similar reaction to meatier storylines, such as a young woman anxious awaiting her missing husband to return from battle.  It’s formulaic and the dialogue lacks spontaneity.

The film’s highlight is a final-act sequence involving Tony Award winning actor Simon Russell Beale as the charismatic English composer Edward Elgar (I won’t spoil by revealing more).  It allows The Choral to escape it’s predictable, war-centred path and surprise audiences with unexpected drama and well-earned laughs.  A shame the opening half wasn’t as engaging.