If you enjoyed The Banshees of Inisherin a couple years back, you’re probably going to love the new Focus Features film The Ballad of Wallis Island. Aside from the similarity in the cadence of the titles, both take place on a remote UK island and feature a fractured relationship, a lovable misfit and a movie star. In Banshees, it was Colin Farrell and in Wallis Island, it’s Carey Mulligan. But spoiler alert: there’s no donkey – and no one gets physically injured.
Here’s the premise. A wealthy man living on the island who obtained his riches from winning not one but two lotteries decides to bring his favorite folksinger duo, McGwyer Mortimer, out for a private concert. The problem is they broke up a long time ago and they don’t know that the other one is coming, only that there’s a huge payday for the one-time gig.
The comedy begins when the male singer, Herb McGwyer, played by Tom Basden, arrives by boat to find there isn’t even a dock and somehow in getting his bags off the craft drops his cell phone into the water, making it impossible to call “his people” about hotel arrangements and a car to take him there.
Instead, wealthy super fan Charles (Tim Key) is there to greet him and it turns out the hotel is his house on the island. Without many creature comforts, it does the feature a veritable shrine to Herb’s now solo career, and his time performing with his former partner, Mulligan’s Nell Mortimer, whom he hasn’t seen in a decade and is now married.
Just as Herb, who has mysteriously changed his name from Chris, is getting used to the stark beauty of the remote island and its annoying lack of resources – including a bag of rice in which to put his soaked cell phone– Charles drops the bomb.
Nell will also be arriving and not only is Herb expected to play an outdoor concert with Charles as the only guest, he is to duet again with her on some of their hit songs.
But it becomes apparent that Charles’ real agenda is getting them back together again for more than his own musical enjoyment.
He eavesdrops on their rehearsal where they seem to be hitting some high notes until inevitably, old tensions resurface and it seems unlikely that the show will go on, even though Nell confides she needs the money, and Herb can use it too, for promoting his new album.
It’s hard to give up half a million pounds for one gig, but it’s also hard to get off the island.
While they’re together, it’s delightful to watch and listen to Mulligan and Basden sing their soulful folk songs, which clearly had deep meaning for them when they were a couple.
Key is a revelation as their comic foil, with nothing but the best of intentions even if he doesn’t fully understand the complicated circumstances under which he’s brought them together.
Directed by James Griffiths, this sweet comedy was shot in Wales with its stunning rocky cliffs and off the grid charm. To quote another song, it’s a peaceful, easy feeling, and this is a wonderful film to watch.
