Rob Reviews "The Ballad Of Wallis Island"

Taking fandom to a whole different level is just part of The Ballad of Wallis Island.  James Griffiths (mostly known for television) takes the helm to bring a script to life written (and starring) Tom Basden and Tim Key in a story of the need to be happy and to have other share in that happiness while also addressing healing, process, and the basic need to be loved.

Charles Heath (Key) lives a reclusive life on the aforementioned Wallis Island.  He has done very well for himself (I’ll leave that to you to find out the story there), and really only lives to listen to the music of his favorite folk duo of McGwyer Mortimer (played by Basden and Carey Mulligan, respectively).  It’s been over a decade since they made any music together, and Heath takes it upon himself to invite them to the island to play a reunion gig under what really are false pretenses (which is also different depending on which one is addressing him).  Secrets are revealed, emotions fly, and everyone learns a little something along the way.

This is one of those films that is SO much better than it has any reason to be.  Having that indie film feel while still having the look of a larger budget, this could easily be a fantastic stage production and still works on a big screen.  Key brings the naivete of some of the roles taken by Paul Walter Hauser alongside the shyness of Zach Galifianakis and the awkward style of humor used by Stephen Merchant, he brings all of the characters around him into HIS world, even when they don’t want to.  Basden’s Herb McGwyer is superb as the middle aged troubadour trying to stay relevant while not realizing that what he is doing makes him anything but while Mulligan’s Nell Mortimer has taken such a different path since the end of their association that worlds collide on a different front while they deal with the life they used to lead.  The cast here is VERY limited due to the locale it takes place in, but Sian Clifford rounds out this cast very nicely as the local shopkeeper that catches Charles’ fancy.

With a script that has true heart from a number of different angles and even differing depending on the character and fantastic performances, The Ballad of Wallis Island is one of those films that does not have to rely on big special effects or sweeping vista shots (although it DOES have a handful of those) to be effective.  This is simply a character piece that doesn’t leave any piece of it’s characters’ arcs on the cutting room floor.  It hit me in what the kids with the clothes and the hair refer to as “all the feels,” and I am NOT afraid to say it. Settle in with some popcorn and enjoy this film!