The Ballad of Wallis Island (dir. James Griffiths)
Certificate: 12A
Running Time: 100 mins
UK Distributor: Universal Pictures
UK Release Date: 30 May 2025
WHO’S IN THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND?
Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carey Mulligan, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Steve Marsh, Luka Downie, Kerrie Thomason
WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?
James Griffiths (director), Tom Basden and Tim Key (writers), Rupert Majendie (producer), Adem Ilhan (composer), G. Magni Ágústsson (cinematographer), Quin Williams (editor)
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A washed-up folk singer (Basden) is invited to perform on a private island…
WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND?
We often turn to movies for a pleasant escape that takes us away from all of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things going on in our world right now, and whether it’s an action-filled blockbuster or even a simple yarn like The Ballad of Wallis Island, our minds are instantly transported to worlds that are arguably far better than the one we’re living in right now.
But the world of director James Griffiths’ film, adapted from his BAFTA-nominated short The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, is so irresistible in its charm and sweetness that you actually come away from it in a rather miserable state, because you know that you have to return to this much grimmer reality after spending time in this utterly delightful one.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is set entirely on the titular isle, a private domain owned by wealthy widower Charles (Tim Key) who, using his vast lottery winnings, arranges for the transportation of his favourite musician, washed-up folk singer Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden), to perform a private concert just for him. McGwyer is understandably a little peeved by his circumstances, but in desperate need of the money to fund his latest (and frankly awful-sounding) album, he reluctantly agrees to the unusual gig that also sees him awkwardly reunite with his former partner – professional and personal – Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), who’s arrived with her American husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen) in tow.
Initially setting the scene for cringeworthy hijinks galore, and in a lot of instances those set-ups come full circle, Griffiths keeps the outright comedy to a minimum, instead focusing on the growing intimacy between its characters amidst this secluded location where it is primarily these four characters – plus Sian Clifford as a kindly shopkeeper – visible at any time. As a result, The Ballad of Wallis Island feels a lot more human than a plot like this would suggest, for you really love being in the presence of people whose vastly different personalities somehow compliment one another in ways that actually make them tolerable to be around, despite their occasionally frustrating traits of bitterness and awkwardness. The director maintains a gentle tone throughout that knows when and how to dial down some of its more overt moments of comedy and drama to avoid steering towards outright sentimentality, instead letting quiet and heartfelt scenes simply play out rather than disrupt the pace with unnecessary genre baggage.
More significantly, the camaraderie between the actors is on point, all of whom bring the right amount of humanity to roles that could have been far more unbearable if a single foot was put out of place. Leads Tom Basden and Tim Key (also the film’s writers) share the most scenes together, and their initial odd-couple pairing makes for some of the film’s brightest scenes, because the actors really make you feel their growing connection as they go from world-weary artist and over-eager fanboy respectively to genuine friends connected by their shared feelings of misdirection in life and struggling to fit in. Carey Mulligan isn’t in the film for as long, nor is her on-screen partner Akemnji Ndifornyen, but both manage to leave a solid impression with a pair of fully realised performances that capture an entire life together that we never even see play out on the screen. Such is the power of natural chemistry and even more natural acting charm.
But it is Key’s Charles who is, by far, the standout character. This could so easily have been an unbearable presence with his eccentric tics – among them making unusual puns like “Dame Judi Drenched” to describe someone coated in water, or “Condoleezza Rice” to reference, well, a bag of rice – and unknowingly invasive behaviour quickly becoming grating, but he is written and performed as far from the overly enthusiastic and slightly creepy obsessive that you may be picturing in your head. The character is certainly socially awkward, but that comes from having next to nobody to chat to on the private island you’ve holed yourself up on, and as much as Basden’s McGwyer learns to re-embrace his musical roots throughout the film, Charles similarly learns to come out of his shell and not be such a hermit, albeit one with a house large enough to fit a knight’s armour in the entrance hall. In addition to also being genuinely funny a lot of the time, there are also some much more subtle moments with this character as he undergoes an emotional rollercoaster upon hearing the sweet music being played between his guests, which Key quite brilliantly conveys to where you almost start to choke up without him even saying a word.
It is such a lovely film with well-conceived characters and a simple yet effective narrative that really touches the soul in ways that you wish more movies of this calibre would embrace. Yet, there is a slightly dour feeling upon leaving the auditorium as you remember that you’re not actually in the delightful world you’ve just spent just over an hour and a half in, and you would give anything to stay there until the cinema staff finally kick you out of the screen, rather than be reminded of the severe decline our current society is experiencing.
That’s really the only reason there’s a half-star docked from this review for The Ballad of Wallis Island, a film that is otherwise wondrous and highly recommended for anyone in need of a severe dosage of dopamine in their lives.
SO, TO SUM UP…
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a fantastic feel-good comedy-drama set in a heartfelt world filled with well-rounded characters so endearing that you’re left slightly miserable for having to return to our much grimmer reality.
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