There's something wonderful about sitting down to watch another Alan Bennett and Nicholas Hytner collaboration.
Over the years, they have worked together on six productions of Bennett's plays, adapting three of them for the big screen - 'The Madness of King George,' 'The History Boys' and 'The Lady In The Van'.
So it's good to see them bringing an original story to the screen, with the World War One era tale 'The Choral'.
Set in the small Yorkshire town of Ramsden, the film follows the struggles of a local choral society struggling to find tenors because most of their young men have volunteered to fight in the war.
The mainstays of the choral society are Alun Armstrong's undertaker Mr Trickett, Mark Addy's photographer Mr Fyton, Ron Cook's local vicar and Roger Allam's local mill owner and alderman Bernard Duxbury.
Not long into the film, the four man committee are sent into a flap when their choirmaster also enlists, forcing them to consider suitable candidates to replace him.
Reluctantly, they choose Ralph Fiennes' accomplished Dr Henry Guthrie.
Despite his impeccable reputation as a choirmaster and musician, Dr Guthrie is rumoured to be gay which is against the law.
Even more controversially, he has previously worked in Germany and loves its music.
Overcoming their reservations about him, the choral initially embarks on rehearsals for Bach's 'Saint Matthew's Passion,' with Salvation Army member, Amara Okereke's Mary particularly impressing Guthrie and his assistant, Robert Emms' Robert Horner.
Other choir members include Taylor Uttley's silver tongued leftie Ellis, Oliver Briscombe's postman Lofty, Emily Fairn's Bella whose talented boyfriend Jacob Dudman's Clyde has gone missing on the battlefields, Thomas Howes' Gilbert Pollard and Lyndsey Marshal's local prostitute Mrs Bishop.
Alarmed that 'Saint Matthew's Passion' may prove too unpopular because it is by a German composer, the committee and Dr Guthrie decide to perform a little known work by the English composer Elgar - 'The Dream of Gerontius' which was coolly received when it was premiered in Birmingham.
Securing the composer's permission, Guthrie is critical of most of the choral society members' abilities, with Alderman Duxbury in particular struggling in the role of Geronitus.
All that changes, however, when Clyde returns from the war minus an arm, with Guthrie reworking Elgar's tale into the story of a young soldier because of his string tenor voice instead of a dying old man.
Will Bella be able to cope with Clyde's return after she falls for Ellis?
Will Mary loosen up as she settles into choral life?
And how will Simon Russell Beale's Elgar react to the changes Guthrie has made to his work?
It would be far too easy to categorise 'The Choral' as one of those fluffy slippers and a nice blanket movie for a Sunday in front of the fire because Hytner's film is much more than that.
Bennett and the director use the First World War setting to reflect on the impact on the communities at home, away from the battlefield.
They also muse on how young men, in Ellis' words, became cannon fodder in the trenches for the upper classes after being used as factory fodder in the local mills.
There's a strong sense of wasted youth and this tragedy of this is exacerbated by the narrow mindedness of locals who will not abide German culture and turn their blind eye yo their children throw stones at someone like Guthrie and calling him a traitor.
As you'd expect, Hytner delivers a handsome film with the help of cinematographer Mike Eley.
The period detail is spot on.
But there are also some jarring notes like a subplot surrounding Lofty's desperation to lose his virginity before he leaves to the front and a scene where Bella is asked to perform a sexual act.
These seem out of place not just in a 1916 setting but even for modern sensibilities and it's more like something like from the 1960s or 70s.
Nevertheless the film has really strong performances across the board, with Fiennes in commanding form as the committed choirmaster who is troubled about his fellow Englishmen and women's detestation of all things German and his concern for a friend/lover on the opposite side of the war.
Allam is terrific as the mill owner and benefactor who loves singing but is is very conscious of his musical limitations.
Okereke and Dudman are excellent tol as the two choir members with real ability and Emms shines as the assistant who wishes Guthrie would treat him with more affection and respect.
Fairn, Addy, Armstrong, Marshall, Uttley, Briscombe and Shaun Thomas as another young choral member Mitch turn in vivacious performances, while Beale almost, but doesn't quite steal the show, as Elgar.
Like 'The Lady In The Van,' Hytner and Bennett deliver a film that's well executed and goes about its business with no major surprises.
It has its flaws but it mostly works.
More importantly, it delivers plenty of laughs and that should be a huge plus in every cinemagoer's books.
('The Choral' was released in UK and Irish cinemas on November 7 2025)
And so we go from one tale of a smart man helping people reach their artistic potential to another.
Welsh director Marc Evans' 'Mr Burton' tells the story of how a Hollywood icon was nurtured.
Harry Lawtey plays Richard Burton - real name Richard Jenkins - the teenage son of Stefan Rhodri's alcoholic miner Dic Jenkins.
Living with his sister Aimee-Ffion Edwards' Cis and her macho husband, Aneurin Barnard's Elfed, the family have a modest life in Port Talbot and flit between speaking English and Welsh.
With Elfed insistent Richard should prepare for life down the mines, he is fortunate to have Toby Jones' Philip Burton as his school teacher and develops a real love of Shakespeare and reading.
Forced to drop out of college, Richard lands a job in a haberdashery which his former teacher occasionally avails of.
Spotting his ex-pupil one day reading a book he would have been studying had he remained in education, Mr Burton soon takes him under his wing - offering him a part as an escaped convict in a school play.
With Richard desperate to make it as an actor, Mr Burton makes it his mission, with the help of his landlady Lesley Manville's Ma Smith, to help the young man achieve his goal.
Howrver the path to success is not easy as Richard has to battle family demons as well as class insecurities.
All of this could be fairly run of the mill, movie star biopic stuff but Evans is too good a director for all that.
His film is superby lit by cinematographer Stuart Biddlescombe in a manner that is reminiscent of Stephen Frears' excellent 2000 film 'Liam,' scripted by Jimmy McGovern.
Evans also coaxes strong performances from Jones, Lawtey, Manville, Edwards, Barnard, Rhodri, Matthew Gravelled as Royal Air Force bigwig Sir Cyril Cooke, Hannah New as a talent agent Daphne Rye and Daniel Evans as the actor Anthony Quayle.
Most audiences will enjoy the chance to glimpse into Richard Burton's early life which is provided by the screenwriting duo of Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams.
And even if it could just do with a slight trim in the final act, it is nevertheless a nicely made, modest film that gives the mentor instead of the star for a change the applause he really deserves.
('Mr Burton' was released in UK and Irish cinemas on April 4, 2025 and is available on the BBC iPlayer)
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