The Ballad of Wallis Island

Synopsis: Charles a man who dreams of getting his two favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, reunited and back together invites them out to perform a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Once on the island old tensions resurface causing Charles to try and salvage his dream show. 

Article Written By Zach Sietsma

The Ballad of Wallis Island is a heartwarming and hilariously lovable film from the director James Griffith and writers Tim Key and Tom Basden. With a film like this you would expect to have emotional tropes however the script provides much more depth beyond the cliche plots you would expect. Along with that the film is filled with funny and quick witted dad jokes to have the audience laughing and engaged throughout. 

Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) arrived to Wallis Island where he meets the lovable and hilarious fan Charles (Tim Key) to perform a concert for the seaside community. Right off the bat you can just tell the pair are completely mismatched as Herb can’t wait to get away from Charles and just relax till the day of the show. Charles who is providing Herb with plenty of cash to fund the show can’t help but be overly excited to reunite him and his late wife’s favorite band, McGwyer Mortimer, for one final show. Of course Herb believes he is performing this show as a solo work due to the musician duo having a falling out over nine years ago. Once the other half Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) arrives to the island with her husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen) tensions and awkward feelings start to arise. What this film does differently is rather than focusing on having explosive arguments and flared tempers until they make up and run off, we get a more realistic approach. Real conversation of hurt feelings, past connections, and lyrics from the songs they wrote. 

Seeing Basden and Mulligan singing together really pulls the chemistry together making the audience truly feel that there was once something there and could still possibly be there. Key on the other hands has the perfect balance of subtlety and humor where he lands the comedic timing of all his jokes and one liners. Rather than him being a completely absurdly annoying person, the sincerity of his performance keeps him grounded and lovable. Another massive win for this film is the beautiful setting of Wallis Island where cinematographer G. Magni Ágústsson captures the stunning and quaint landscape whether they are on the rocky shores or up on the lush hillsides. 

Overall The Ballad of Wallis Island will leave plenty of audiences laughing and smiling throughout thanks to its hilarious and heartwarming script as well as a charming cast of performances. Griffiths and the writing double Basden and Key will definitely be on radar for any future films they have planned. 

Story: 9/10

Acting: 8/10

Direction: 8/10

Pacing: 10/10

Visuals: 8/10

Editing: 10/10

Resonate: 9/10

Entertainment and Emotional Value: 27/30

Overall Score: 89/100