THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: James Griffiths
Stars: Tim Key, Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen.
A hit on the festival circuit, this quirky British cringe comedy set on Wallis Island, a remote island off the coast of Wales, gains a cinematic release.
Charles Heath (Tim Key, best known for playing Alan Partridge’s goofy sidekick Simon) is an eccentric loner who lives on Wallis Island. He has won the British lottery twice. After the first win he and his beloved wife Marie travelled the world. With his second win he bought a large house on Wallis Island and moved to live there. He and Marie were huge fans of the folk duo McGwyer Mortimer. Marie died a couple of years earlier.
Charles has an extensive collection of the band’s memorabilia and also regularly listens to their albums as a way to maintain a connection with Marie. McGwyer and Mortimer split up fifteen years ago; Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) now lives in Portland, Oregon, and makes chutney which she sells at farmer’s markets. Herb McGwyer (Tim Basden) has had a largely unsuccessful solo career.
Charles decides to reunite the duo for a special one off concert on Wallis Island for which he will be the sole audience – although he tells McGwyer that he will be playing for a crowd of “less than one hundred people.” He has paid a small fortune for the two to appear. However, he has not told McGwyer that his former partner will be appearing, which creates some tension when they both arrive on the island separately. Nell also brings along her American husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen, from tv series Leonardo, etc), who is also an avid birdwatcher.
But Charles’ plans do not go smoothly as the reunion between the two performers is tinged with tension and is awkward. Charles desperately tries to salvage his dream gig as the performers’ emotional baggage threatens to derail the whole enterprise.
The Ballad Of Wallis Island (previously known as One For The Money) is an extension of the BAFTA award nominated 2007 25-minute short film The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, which was written by frequent collaborators Key and Basden and directed by James Griffiths (Cuban Fury, etc). The three key creatives are responsible for expanding the concept here, and the film explores loss, regrets, painful memories and the healing power of music. Key and Basden have written a lovely, low key and subtle script that blends nostalgia with poignant moments and personal revelations, tinged with doses of quirky humour. Griffiths directs the material with a sure hand and maintains a delicate balance between pathos and comedy. His compassionate approach to the material and affection for the offbeat characters is obvious and he avoids unnecessary sentimentality.
The three leads bring their flawed characters to life. Key is good as the eternally optimistic and upbeat but garrulous and socially awkward Charles, a sad sack who has lived alone for several years, and he often misreads social cues and lacks the subtle understanding of social interactions. He is effusive and talks when he should listen, and he has a tendency for bad puns and ill-timed humour, but his offbeat character is somehow endearing. There is also a spark between him and Amanda (Sian Clifford, from Fleabag, etc), the widow and single mother who owns the sole shop on the island, which gives him some hope for a less lonely future.
Basden is a comic actor who brings a world-weary quality to his performance as McGwyer whose passion for music is reignited by the time spent on the island. Basden has also written several folk tunes for the film, and the soundtrack is quite appealing. Mulligan is delightful in a Stevie Nicks like role, and she and Basden develop a nice dynamic that adds to their prickly chemistry.
The film has been nicely shot by cinematographer G Magni Agustsson, whose lensing of the harsh Welsh landscapes gives us a strong sense of place.
The Ballad Of Wallis Island is a perceptive and entertaining crowd pleaser.
★★★☆
