Director: James Griffiths
Writer: Tom Basden, Tim Key
Stars: Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carey Mulligan
Synopsis: The Ballad of Wallis Island follows Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer back together.
It’s strange to be nostalgic for the late ’00s and the entirety of the ’10s folk music boom, but it was quite a phenomenon. All a band had to have was a powerful, melodic group of voices, at least one guitar, a kick drum, and someone playing an instrument like the banjo, lute, or mandolin. It was an acoustic sound that filled, and in some cases still does fill, arenas, stadiums, and amphitheaters. The Ballad of Wallis Island reminds us of what that kind of music can evoke within us. Folk music is intimate, rhythmic, and moving; just like this film.
The concept of a man hiring his favorite artists to play a private show for him, and having that be funny and not creepy, would not work without a strong script behind it. Tom Basden and Tim Key have written a very eclectic charmer of a film. The blended plot points weave in and out of each other like a beautiful melody. It’s raucously funny at times and utterly heartbreaking at others. The references fly at the speed of light and are often beautiful plays on words. The next time you’re caught in a rainstorm you’d be hard pressed to find a better one liner for the story than calling yourself, “Dame Judi Drenched.”
Though, as good as the script is, the chemistry between all of the lead actors is unquantifiably exquisite. The comic pairing of Basden and Key is so great and funny. They’re reminiscent of great cinematic comedy pairings with Key being the motor-mouthed goof and Basden the exasperated straight man. Even with as well known an actress as Carey Mulligan in the film, you only see her as Nell. The three of them together are very close to comedic perfection.
Tim Key is the clear standout of the group. His scenes of drama tend to land a bit harder and his scenes of comedy are absolutely perfect. While we get snippets of who Charles is, an eccentric wealthy man who lives alone in a large house on an island, it’s through Key’s reactions that we see the man underneath. In one of the quieter scenes, Herb (Tom Basden) comes back with his guitar so that he and Nell can sing one of their more romantic ballads. After a few chords, the camera stays on Charles. It pushes in as he has a strong emotional reaction to the song and the people singing it. He’s trying to swallow his tears with gulps of air. It’s written all over his face that this isn’t just a gimmick or a way to spend his money, but that this music means more to him than anything else that exists in the world. It’s a beautiful piece of beautiful dramatic acting within a comedy reminiscent of John Candy in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
It’s also a point where we notice the filmmaker’s hand. James Griffiths’ style as a director looks to be to let the comedic moments fuel the film, but there are moments when he and his team go the extra mile to land the scene. After Herb questions Charles’ wealth, Charles shows Herb the framed winning lottery ticket that made him wealthy. He gives a story about how he spent it all and felt a little empty. In a stroke of genius, as Charles is avoiding Herb’s follow up questions, Griffiths and cinematographer G. Magni Ágústsson track the camera with Charles as he reveals his second framed winning lottery ticket. It’s a small moment, but it’s a moment that lands the joke better than any other could.
Even if you aren’t a lover of folk music, the original songs in the film are beautiful and human in their exploration of love, joy, and pain. Even if you like your comedies uncomplicated, the interpersonal relationships in The Ballad of Wallis Island are worth it. It’s a film that is the very definition of the phrase, “It made me laugh, it made me cry.” There is beauty in a small cast and a goofy concept that is well executed. The Ballad of Wallace Island is very much one of those rare beauties.
