The Choral Review: Ralph Fiennes Shines In A Confused WWI Drama

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Nicholas Hytner’s film, The Choral, is unusual. While the World War I drama, recently shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, aims for a specific style and partially achieves it, the movie ultimately feels confusing. It’s filled with wasted potential and strangely presented moments that weaken its overall impact.

The Choral is a story about a singing group in a small English village during World War I. The series quickly introduces us to the members, including the experienced leaders (played by Mark Addy, Roger Allam, Alun Armstrong, and Ron Cook) and the younger men joining, hoping to meet women (Nathan Hall and Oliver Briscombe). Their rehearsals are disrupted when their director is called to serve, and they must find someone new to lead them.

Dr. Guthrie, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a somewhat troubling character due to his admiration for Germany and his unusual personal tastes. The other men are hesitant to include him, but he joins them and proposes they tackle a new musical piece: The Dream of Gerontius.

Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Guthrie Is The Best Part Of The Choral — And There Isn’t Enough Of Him

Guthrie immediately stands out as a compelling and unusual character. He shocks those around him with offhand comments in German, and it’s hinted that he’s lost someone he cares about deeply, though the specifics remain a mystery. Ralph Fiennes portrays him with a clever and knowing charm, suggesting a deep intelligence and a worldly perspective gained from significant life experiences.

Surprisingly, Guthrie fades into the background as the story progresses. He’s reduced to simply directing the music for the production of The Dream of Gerontius, trying to link it to the current war. The focus shifts to the younger characters, though this isn’t always successful.

The possibility of being sent to war hangs over the story, and by the end, several characters are on their way to fight. Before that, the film introduces a surprising love triangle and other clumsy attempts at romance, which don’t quite work because we haven’t gotten to know the characters well enough. These romantic scenes are also made uncomfortable by awkward and out-of-place sexual encounters that don’t fit the film’s overall mood.

The film The Choral aims to be an inspiring story about how music can offer comfort and hope when things are difficult. While there are moments that achieve this, particularly during the powerful final performance of The Dream of Gerontius, the film is weighed down by its large cast and the way the many different characters’ stories don’t quite connect.

The movie’s ending is almost redemptive, delivering a truly beautiful scene. Before that, Simon Russell Beale briefly appears as the composer, Edward Elgar, adding a quick moment of tension that’s resolved almost immediately.

Once the performance starts, it’s easy to put all the behind-the-scenes difficulties aside. The director pays close attention to the staging and lighting, creating a beautiful and detailed presentation. This is where the story truly comes to life, delivering the emotional impact we expected, and all the creative elements work together seamlessly.

Despite a promising turn, the movie The Choral unfortunately returns to its confusing and melodramatic storylines. The plot doesn’t offer much closure for the character Guthrie, and the film ends weakly, rather than with a satisfying conclusion. While not a bad movie overall, its inconsistent tone and lack of focus on its most compelling characters make it a bit disappointing to watch.

The film The Choral debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled for release in the UK on November 7th.

Note: This review was originally published on September 11th, 2025.

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2025-12-24 16:10