The Ballad of Wallis Island (12A) |Close-Up Film Review
Dir: James Griffiths, UK, 2025, 100 mins
Cast: Tim Key, Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan
Review by .Carol Allen
Basden plays singer Herb McGwyer, past the peak of his career, who’s invited by a millionaire to give a private concert on his private island. This is though no tropical paradise with bronzed babes sipping cocktails round the swimming pool, but a remote and rugged Scottish isle with no harbour, as Herb discovers when he has to disembark and wade from the rowing boat that’s delivered him and drops his possessions into the water. The millionaire is twinkly eyed Charles (Tim Key). His millions come not from commerce but from winning the lottery. He’s lonely after the loss of his wife, over friendly, verbose and Herb’s biggest fan. He has all Herb’s records (vinyl of course) from the early days of his career, when he was a double act in life as well as on stage with Nell (Carey Mulligan).
There are further surprises for Herb. He’s staying not in a hotel but Charles’ comfy but certainly not luxurious home. His mobile phone has packed up after being dropped in the sea and the only landline is the payphone next to the island’s one shop. And the concert is going to be for an audience of one – namely Charles. The final surprise comes though when Nell turns up with her geeky husband Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). Charles wants them to recreate just for him the music that once made them stars
As the two rehearse, will their former feelings for each other be born again? Will they indeed be able to revive the creative relationship that Charles hopes for? Or is this too original a tale for that? Let’s just say, don’t go jumping to conclusions.
Mulligan gives a sweet and unselfish performance but the central relationship is the friendship that grows between Herb and Charles. Basden plays Charles initially as a rather self-obsessed, semi-washed up egotist, but with his sad eyes and droopy outdated moustache the character grows on you. Key as Charles is cuddly, annoying and totally lovable. While Sian Clifford as the owner of the only shop on the island adds her own dry humour to the mix. This unpredictable mixture of comedy, melancholy and nostalgia is a true original, which does indeed deserve to be loved.
