Depending on whether you're in the mood for cosy or quirky, I've got something for you. It was nice to see our local indie busy on Sunday for The Choral, which stars Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Henry Guthrie, who is recruited following his return from Germany to lead the Choral Society in Ramsden. The choir is struggling to attract any male recruits, due to the fact the war is on (the story is set in 1916), and it's also a battle to find a non-German composer's work to base their next performance around.
Much of the movie was filmed in the picturesque Saltaire, near Bradford, which looks gorgeous on the big screen, and is recommended for a visit if you've never been. Salts Mill is full of David Hockney artwork, there are lots of charming streets and plenty of green space in the nearby park. Sir Titus Salt founded it back in 1851 as a model village for his textile mill workers, and didn't permit any pubs to operate, as he didn't want his workers to fall under the influence. This explains the name of one watering hole based there nowadays, Don't Tell Titus, which is a nice spot for lunch and a cocktail.
Anyway, back to the film, and the likes of Amara Okereke, Mark Addy and Emily Fairn are all on top notch form. There are acerbic lines aplenty from the pen of Alan Bennett, who is a master of wit and dry sarcasm. There are a lot of sub-plots going on, but everything weaves together nicely as the choir build up to their reinterpretation of a piece by Edward Elgar, who is played by Jim Broadbent. It's all very northern, but in the sort of charming, witty way that Coronation Street used to be.
Ralph Fiennes is described by Wendy Ide in The Observer as being "a beacon of class" in this picture, and I'd heartily agree. He is the foundation around which an excellent film is built, and whilst it may be a bit too cosy for some, I thought it was the perfect Sunday teatime viewing. As Dr. Guthrie says, "life is short. So sing".
Die My Love sees Jennifer Lawrence slice up a birthday cake with a massive knife, bark like a dog, scratch off wallpaper with her fingernails, and jump into a kids' swimming pool in just her underwear, amongst other things. You literally don't know what her character Grace is going to do next. She throws everything at this role in an astonishing performance, and has verbal acrobatics with Robert Pattinson in several memorable scenes. As a portrayal of a woman on the edge of a breakdown, this is fantastically done. Yes, it's quite unhinged at times, but I enjoy some uncomfortable laughter at the cinema. There was plenty of that to be had, alongside hacked up birthday cake and smashed bathroom mirrors. I liked the style of filming, and it all felt a bit like a fever dream at times.
