Weekend Watch: The Ballad Of Wallis Island
If music be the food of love...
Image Credit: Focus Features
Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, where I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, loner wants to reunite his favourite musical duo. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite, Threads/Instagram: @jammerwhite and Blue Sky: @jammerwhite.bsky.social
I am, it must be said, a sucker for a charming British film about eccentrics, even if they might make me homesick (in this case for Pickled Onion Monster Munch in particular). 2022’s Brian And Charles fell squarely into that category and now here is The Ballad Of Wallis Island.
Co-written by and starring Tim Key and Tom Basden, and based on their 2007 short The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, the new film follows another Charles, this one Heath, who is something of a quirky loner living on the titular remote island.
Yet Charles is also a rich man thanks to a lottery win, and so he has hit upon an idea: he’ll pay good money to his favourite musical duo, McGwyer Mortimer (Basden’s Herb McGwyer and Carey Mulligan’s Nell Mortimer) to play a special gig on the island for an audience of one.
The wrinkle, of course, is that McGwyer and Mortimer have long been broken up both musically and romantically (Herb is trying to forge a solo career and Nell left the music business, moved to America and got married). But can Charles’ plan work out so there is more than just a musical reunion?
To give that away would be to spoil part of the joy of the movie, which doesn’t go for pat, easy answers.
Key, a poet, stand-up and writer who has developed a fine line in supporting roles (Alan Partridge fans might know him as Sidekick Simon) here fully grasps the chance to be one of the leads, and Charles is such a well-rounded character that you’ll feel for him, especially when we learn more about his past.
As Herb, Basden is also great –– the character is a little full of himself, and feeding on his own ego, but when there is a plot turn later on, his vulnerable side shines through.
It also goes without saying that Mulligan is luminous, finding great chemistry with both Basden, Key and her cheery husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen), who strikes a chord with Charles far more than Herb could ever hope to.
Beyond the central trio (Michael is more of a supporting role, and he vanishes at a certain point off on a puffin-spotting tour), there’s also Sian Clifford, who plays local shopkeeper Amanda, who may just be more important to Charles than simply being the person who keeps him supplied with tennis balls.
James Griffiths, who directed the short, returns here, and crafts some lush visuals, helped by the natural splendor of the Welsh coastline.
It’s funny, warm, romantic and sweet and while it might not get a gigantic audience in the States, I can hope it’ll find the crowd it deserves, as it’s a wonderful little treat.
The Ballad Of Wallis Island is on limited release in the States now, going wide on 11 April. It’ll be in UK cinemas on 30 May.