They weren’t the biggest band in the world, but for a while there they were the biggest band in the world to Charles (Tim Key). Now that he’s alone and flush with cash (thanks not one but two Big Lottery wins), there’s nothing he wants more than to reunite said band – known as Mortimer McGwyer, after members Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) and Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden)—on their far-flung island home for a very Private gig. What could possibly go wrong?
While James Griffith’s “The Ballad of Wallis Island” is built on a forge of deceit – Nell and Herb long ago parted ways, both personally and professionally, and it’s pretty clear that Herb wouldn’t have agreed to such a gig if he’d known Nell would be there – film is quite warm-hearted. Charles is a dad-joke-spouting oddball, and while his relentless spewing of awful puns and gags may initially rankle, they eventually speak to his intense loneliness and genuine desire for connection. Bringing Mortimer McGwyer to his fantastic island home is an act of true love, both for himself and his own lost love.
Herb doesn’t want to hear it. When the almost-washed-up rock star quite literally washes up on Wallis Island-“isn’t there a port?” He won’t vibe with what Charles is throwing down. And that’s before Nell and (gulp) Her husband Michael (Akemnji ndifornyen) appears. It’s not hijinks that follow, more low-key emotional revelations, set to vocals and in Register of a John Carney Joint.
Long-time collaborators Griffiths, Basden and Key have been noodling with the film concept for quite some time, initially envisioning it as the short film “The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island”, which won best at the Edinburgh Film Festival and was nominated for a BAFTA in 2007. That these characters – Basden and Key co-wrote both the short and this feature, with Basden himself penning over two dozen songs for the film – feel so lived in and Real should come as no surprise, And the addition of Mulligan just adds even more depth to the proceedings.
This trio can easily be reduced to tropes or archetypes: the sold-out rock star (Herb has moved into pop music in the intervening years, it’s degrading as all hell), the crunchy has-been (today, Nell sells chutney at The Intervening Local Farmers Market) and the cocky devil (Charles’ nutty jokes and non-stop Yammer barely hide a broken heart), but Basden and Key know their guys and gals, and where they need to go.
Consider the mystery of why Nell and Herb broke up all those years ago, which another movie would likely treat as a kind of skeleton key to the whole thing, the kind of plot twist used in a moment that calls for a big, bloated emotional revelation. Instead, Griffiths and his collaborators expect audiences to grow to understand why these two broke up in the first place, based on where they are now and even where they were way back when. It’s a loving choice, both for the film’s characters and its audience.
Basden’s songs similarly had a warm texture to the film, and while they may not be as captivating as other tracks in similar films, he and Mulligan make wonderful music together, and their fractured bond is most believable when they sing together. The result is a cozy crowd pleaser with real heart and some lovely songs, and one that doesn’t trade honesty for predictable beats.
Grade: B
Focus functions will be released “The Ballad of Wallis Island“In limited theaters Friday, March 28.
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