If you love Alan Bennett, youโll love this film and itโs touching story - but you mat not be so enamoured of its production and direction.
Itโs 1916 and a choral society are facing numerous challenges to meet their objective of putting on a show in Yorkshire during WW1.
The characters , for the most part, are well drawn and empathetic. The story is funny and sad in the best tradition. But - for it to work on screen, we need to believe that this is 1916. Sadly, the casting intentionally uses black and asian actors where there simply would not have been a credible presence at the time. (The non-white population of the UK in 1916 was 0.03% - and concentrated in big cities). Whilst the various prejudices of the characters are given voice - catholics, jews, Germans, gays - somehow we are asked to believe that a black soloist in an otherwise exclusively white choral society in 1916 Yorkshire would be accepted without remark or explanation. The hairstyles and some phrases in the dialogue too owe more to 2016 than 1916. This simply underestimates and insults the audience and provides a source of incredulity throughout.
That said, itโs a good story well acted by all the cast - just not authentic and misguidedly spoilt. I think Mr Bennett is better than this.