The British have long made movies that can best be described as quirky. The country’s filmmakers have a knack for creating cinematic entertainment that is sweetened with whimsical comedy and sometimes mellowed with a dash of drama.
These lighthearted baubles go back to the start of Great Britain’s studio system and continue to this day. The stories often have cleverly romantic or mildly criminal elements — sometimes both — and more often than not they involve an unusual or unique person to whom an out-of-the-ordinary event happens.
Overall, these British choices are truly quite extensive, but here are eight examples that may please you: “A Taste Of Honey” (1961), “Brassed Off” (1996), “Local Hero” (1973), “Pride” (2014), “The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain” (1995), “The Full Monty” (1997), “The Lavender Hill Mob” (1951), and “Waking Ned Devine” (1998). Striking coal miners, the national lottery, tubas and trumpets, befuddled elderly ladies, and curious young romantics abound.
Regarding January’s motion picture release doldrums, they always coincide with the announcement of the Academy Award nominations — Thursday, the 22nd this year — and more often than not include a Jason Statham or a Liam Neeson action picture. Right on schedule, Statham arrives on the 30th with a thriller titled “Shelter,” and he has a second action film, “Mutiny,” scheduled to be released in August. Neeson is not on the lineup for January, but he does have a horror comedy, “Cold Storage,” set for February and a heist movie, “4 Kids Walk Into A Bank,” coming in April.
There’s a bright note this January, because if any nation can be said to prefer tradition, I daresay it’s Great Britain. There is a stiff upper lip component to the nation’s psyche that is difficult to duplicate. Tea at four? But of course. Queen Elizabeth II continued and maintained the respect for the protocols and niceties of British life throughout her reign and the population followed. Now we have the movie “The Choral,” which begins playing in theaters in the middle of next week. It is steeped in tradition.
Most of the world last saw British actor Ralph Fiennes in 2024’s buzz-worthy box office hit “Conclave.” He has been in a couple of other movies during the interim, but assuredly nothing of that feature’s epic magnitude. Fiennes starts off the new year with another less audacious film, but one that should have moviegoers who are looking for calm and quietude eager for the opportunity to hear gorgeous music and to experience the traditional lives of members of the British population.
Fiennes stars in “The Choral,” which is set during World War I. The conflict has had a devastating impact on Europe, but it has also affected large cities and tiny villages throughout Britain, including the small Yorkshire town of Ramsden in England. Because of the need for able-bodied men to serve in the war, the town’s choirmaster has left for the Army. The area’s population is inordinately proud of its choir.
There is a reasonable replacement for the position of choirmaster, an Englishman who respects choral music deeply; however, he just happens to be in Germany. Fortunately, he is available and is willing to return to England. There is resistance in Ramadan against Dr. Henry Guthrie because not only does he appreciate and study German music (not a good fit), but he is also an atheist and may not be interested in marriage to a woman. One Alderman offers steep resistance to selecting him. Many other male members of the choir have also had to leave. The dilemma hangs heavy. A solution must be found.
The build-up to a decision is well-developed, but of course, Guthrie is chosen and the task of rebuilding the choir with young and middle-aged men and women begins. Too many of the town’s elders don’t have the vocal capacity needed. The film, directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by celebrated 91-year-old playwright and screenwriter Alan Bennett, is a wonderful ode to the possible. We meet a wide variety of characters, everyone respectful of the joy and tradition of beautiful music.
“The Choral” offers conflicts galore, all of them realistic and many of them rising out of the characters’ current and future needs. There are 17-year-olds facing the prospect of going into the military. Soldiers wounded in the war return home physically and emotionally scarred. Romantic decisions are put on hold or completely altered. Through it all, Guthrie is determined that tradition will win out and everyone will be proud of the rebuilt choir. Nothing is promised lightly. He has his supporters and the screenplay carefully explores the struggle for communal normalcy and common sense.
Fiennes is superb in his portrayal of Guthrie, who understands that music has the ability to bring healing to a grieving population overwhelmed by the loss of family members or friends. Even strangers are shaken by the frightening despair caused by a sense of helplessness and worry about the future. As we watch, we are shown and understand that war does much more damage than just killing on the battlefield. There is a point being made that personal psychological pain can be calmed by proximity to majestic music.
The entire acting ensemble in “The Choral” is terrific, and there are plenty of small moments of pleasure from the talented group. Additionally, what is equally welcome is the look of the film. The production values are unmistakably first class. Mike Eley’s expressive cinematography and Tariq Anwar’s crisp editing are invaluable assets. Yes, even dialogue can be edited to raise the level of a movie’s quality to benefit an audience’s enjoyment. George Fenton’s music score is unobtrusive but filled with meaning. The story’s humor is never overbearing. American movie production companies are too often avoiding the mid-budget motion picture. This is unfortunate. Audiences are craving stories that can be found in films about characters that enter their lives and enlighten them. “The Choral” fills the bill.