The Ballad of Wallis Island Movie Review

Brilliant.

The story, the music, the acting, location. Preproduction was extremely well thought out. The cast in this film couldn’t be better suited for the lines they must deliver… and deliver well, might I add. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry. If you’re saying to yourself right now that you don’t cry in movies, I challenge you to try not to in this one. Director James Griffiths probably stands in theaters to watch out for this very thing. He made an outstanding film so why wouldn’t he?

The story is that a lonely millionaire, Charles (Tim Key of Alan Partridge fame), actually asks and gets his two favorite musicians, husband and wife (now exes) Nell (Carey Mulligan of Inside Llewyn Davis) and Herb (Tom Basden of Afterlife), to come perform a show on a tiny island. They were a well-known group called Mortimer McGwyer.

Charles won millions in the lottery twice, and has nothing else to do with his money where he lives so why not ask, right? No one comes to the island. He said Kate Bush did once for the peace and quiet the island offered. They agree and Charles is overwhelmed, as you are, when they show up. Herb isn’t prepared for the punch he gets in his gut when he sees Nell again. Letting her go was the biggest mistake of his life. One he’d like to fix. Maybe this is his chance. He tells them they’re performing a very private affair on the beach. He shows them the venue. As they get nearer to it, they see there is no stage… no seats. The gig is truly private. They are performing for him. They need the money so, it might be odd, they agree to perform for him.

There’s a lot of comedy in telling this story, which works mostly because of Key, but the emotion that wells up because two friends who were once married couldn’t continue together is surprising. They built such a brilliant career together and clearly there are still feelings. Charles wonders why in the hell the two are not together. You’ll wonder the same thing when you see them together. Before the end, Charles offers his neutral perspective. What the solos don’t necessarily need is another person telling them they should become a duo again.

See this for a movie that offers a bit less predictability, beautiful music, cinematography, a great story with a director willing and able to handle the project.