‘The Ballad of Wallis Island' is the loveliest movie of the year
It's never a bad time for a film like 'The Ballad of Wallis Island,' but at the moment it feels like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it's also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging. This is a movie about a kind, chatty man named Charles (Tim Key) who invites his favourite folk band to play a concert on the remote island where he lives alone in a massive old home. Charles is a semi-recluse only by circumstance: He's holed himself up in this home full of eccentric acquisitions over the years after a lucky lottery win (there's another punchline there, but I won't spoil it). Wallis Island, though beautiful and serene, with white cliffs and rocky shores (it was shot in Wales), is not the kind of place where there's a lot of socializing, but there is quite a bit of time for reflection, hobbies and, probably, talking to oneself at length. And Charles's greatest passion is McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan ), a once popular folk group who have not been together, professionally or romantically, for almost a decade.
That this is to be a reunion is terrible news for Herb McGwyer (Basden), who has made a name for himself as a solo artist and who arrives first, already aggrieved about the decisions that have led him here. All he seems to know is that it's a small gig that will get him a cool half million pounds, which will effectively finance his next album. Everything else about this journey to Wallis Island comes as an unwelcome surprise, starting with the fact that there's no dock, no car, no hotel and he's stuck as Charles' houseguest.
The owner of the small general store (Sian Clifford, always a welcome presence) does not even carry rice, which Herb needs to dry out his water damaged phone. That's a special order. And then Nell Mortimer (Mulligan) arrives, new husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen) in tow. Herb, faced now with his ex, has no phone and no escape plan: The one man who ferries people to and from the main island doesn't even keep a reliable schedule (the boat times are listed with a disclaimer: 'sometimes').
Nell, meanwhile, is ready to perform with her old beau. She needs the money, but has also moved on with her life - making chutney in the Pacific Northwest, and seems to be in a good place. Herb remains the put-upon artist, a ball of childish anxiety and ego who has since sold out and seems to regret how things transpired with Nell so many years ago. And then there's Charles who is simply elated to be in the presence of these two. It's a fun group of somewhat conflicting interests to mash together.
Once the bickering subsides, Nell and Herb will get to reconnect over their shared music, though someone will of course take the wrong message from it. And it's all a delight to watch: Mulligan and Basden are sublime together, naturally exuding the awkward chemistry of artist exes, with Key as the adorable comedic foil. Basden and Key actually co-wrote the script, based on a short film they and director James Griffiths made 18 years ago.
It's still early days for 2025 movie releases, and far too soon to be making any reasonable declarations about how something is going to stack up with the rest of them by December. But this is a special one for any year.
'The Ballad of Wallis Island' is the kind movie that makes it all look so easy - filmmaking, performance, mood, chemistry. It's not going to dominate any cultural conversations, and probably won't go the awards route, but it'll touch your soul if you let it. Like 'Juliet, Naked' from several years ago, a kind of spiritual and tonal sibling, it's an easy one to recommend to just about anyone.
Associated Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
10-04-2025
- Khaleej Times
Charles jokes, cites Monty Python at Italian state banquet
King Charles III, in Rome on his 20th wedding anniversary to his wife, Camilla, joked on Wednesday at a lavish state dinner that Italy had arranged a "dinner for two" for the happy couple. Approximately 150 guests sat down at the banquet inside the Quirinale Palace, home to President Sergio Mattarella, who saluted the couple's anniversary on their third day of a state visit to Italy. "I must say it really is very good of you, Mr President, to lay on this small romantic, candle-lit dinner for two," Charles joked during his toast — in which he alternated between English and Italian. On the menu at the black-tie dinner was fresh stuffed pasta with eggplant, sea bass and fried artichokes, Roman-style. Charles, who has made 18 official visits to Italy during his lifetime, cited longstanding Italian-British ties, from Roman times to today's vast Italian diaspora in London. "There is, of course, the influence of the ancient Romans – who first landed in the South of England in 55 BC -– and, I suppose it is fair to say, were not met with exactly the warmest of British welcomes!" "But I, for one, have never asked that question -– made famous by Monty Python -– "What have the Romans ever done for us?" The royal couple's Rome visit has included a brief tour outside the Colosseum on Tuesday. Earlier Wednesday, Charles gave a speech to a joint session of parliament, and he and Queen Camilla made a surprise visit to Pope Francis, who has been convalescing at home in the Vatican after his hospitalisation for pneumonia. Charles and Camilla will on Thursday visit Ravenna -- a city once beloved of Lord Byron and known for its Byzantine mosaics -- as their last stop. In his speech, Charles remembered famous family members who were similarly fond of Italy, including his great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria. She had "clearly found great solace in coming to Florence and painting watercolours of the Italian countryside," Charles said. Both Victoria's son, King Edward VII and his son, George V, had spoken at state banquets in the very same Quirinal Palace as Wednesday's dinner "over a century ago," he noted. That was "proof of how our ties have endured, whatever the twists and turns of history," said the king. "Let me propose a toast, Mr President -- here, in the Eternal City -- to the friendship between our nations, and the hope that this too may be eternal."
Khaleej Times
08-04-2025
- Khaleej Times
Charles and Camilla pose at Colosseum in pomp-filled Italy visit
King Charles III and Queen Camilla posed in front of the Colosseum in Rome on Tuesday and greeted thousands of well-wishers on the first full day of a state visit to Italy. The four-day trip comes less than a fortnight after Charles, 76, was briefly admitted to hospital after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment. The royals, who will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday in Rome, were met by applauding crowds at the ancient gladiator battleground. They shook hands and chatted with flag-waving schoolchildren and snap-happy tourists gathered along the route between the Arch of Constantine and the Temple of Venus and Rome. Romolo Testa, a 19-year-old Italian who managed to shake their hands, said it was "emotional". "It was really a great honour, I was moved," he told AFP. Emperors, royals Military bands from the Welsh Guards — wearing their distinctive bearskin hats — and Sardinia's Sassari Brigade entertained the crowds before the royals arrived with classic tunes like Abba's Dancing Queen, while gardeners did some frantic last-minute cobblestone cleaning. Charles and Camilla then had their picture taken in front of the Colosseum, which the ancient Romans used for gladiatorial fights, mock sea battles and plays based on Roman mythology. Coordinated in a blue pinstriped suit for him and a blue silk crepe dress and coat for her, with a diamond-and-sapphire brooch that was once Queen Victoria's, the king and queen were then given a quick history lesson by renowned Italian TV presenter and historian Alberto Angela. Angela told journalists afterwards that Charles had "wanted to know all the details about the past". "This place is a place of history. You had Roman emperors... and now you have the king and queen coming here. That makes sense," he said. Well-wishers included the four-member Wilson family, who live near the royal Windsor Castle in England, and said it was chance their holiday coincided with the visit. Sarah Wilson, 48, showed off a photo of a smiling Charles snapped by her teenage daughter Beth from behind the barricade. "Our daughter is quite pushy, so she got in there," she told AFP. "It's literally the first time we've ever seen him," enthused Wilson. "We come all the way to Rome and see the king who lives 10 miles away!" Earlier, the king and queen were driven through the streets of the capital accompanied by mounted presidential guards. The royals were greeted at the 16th-century Quirinale Palace by Italy's ceremonial president, Sergio Mattarella, and treated to a joint flypast by Italy's 'Frecce Tricolori' air force aerobatic team and Britain's 'Red Arrows'. When in Rome French sightseer Philippe Heitzler, 64, stuck behind a security barrier during the visit, said he and his wife were fans of the British crown. The monarchy is "a good thing," Heitzler said. But "we didn't understand why they wanted to leave Europe", he added, referring to Brexit, which saw the UK vote to leave the EU in 2020. Charles has already made 17 official visits to Italy, though this is his first since becoming monarch following the 2022 death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth. He will meet Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and is set to become the first British monarch to address a joint sitting of the Italian parliament. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is accompanying the royals. The king and queen will celebrate their 20th anniversary on Wednesday with a state banquet. They marked the occasion by issuing a photo taken in the gardens of the British ambassador's residence in Rome, where they are staying. The couple, who will also visit Ravenna during the trip, described Italy as "such a special place — and with such wonderful people!" in a message on social media. Charles announced he had cancer in February 2024, without specifying which kind, but began returning to work at the end of April. While continuing to receive treatment, he gradually ramped up his duties, including an official visit to Australia and Samoa in October. Officials said his recent hospital stay, a few hours on March 27, was a "minor bump" in his medical treatment, and he resumed engagements on April 1.
Gulf Today
29-03-2025
- Gulf Today
‘The Ballad of Wallis Island' is the loveliest movie of the year
It's never a bad time for a film like 'The Ballad of Wallis Island,' but at the moment it feels like a much-needed balm. Modest in scope and made with the lightest of touch, not unlike the lovely folk songs that populate its soundtrack, it's also deceptively powerful: A gentle ode to moving on, in quirky packaging. This is a movie about a kind, chatty man named Charles (Tim Key) who invites his favourite folk band to play a concert on the remote island where he lives alone in a massive old home. Charles is a semi-recluse only by circumstance: He's holed himself up in this home full of eccentric acquisitions over the years after a lucky lottery win (there's another punchline there, but I won't spoil it). Wallis Island, though beautiful and serene, with white cliffs and rocky shores (it was shot in Wales), is not the kind of place where there's a lot of socializing, but there is quite a bit of time for reflection, hobbies and, probably, talking to oneself at length. And Charles's greatest passion is McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan ), a once popular folk group who have not been together, professionally or romantically, for almost a decade. That this is to be a reunion is terrible news for Herb McGwyer (Basden), who has made a name for himself as a solo artist and who arrives first, already aggrieved about the decisions that have led him here. All he seems to know is that it's a small gig that will get him a cool half million pounds, which will effectively finance his next album. Everything else about this journey to Wallis Island comes as an unwelcome surprise, starting with the fact that there's no dock, no car, no hotel and he's stuck as Charles' houseguest. The owner of the small general store (Sian Clifford, always a welcome presence) does not even carry rice, which Herb needs to dry out his water damaged phone. That's a special order. And then Nell Mortimer (Mulligan) arrives, new husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen) in tow. Herb, faced now with his ex, has no phone and no escape plan: The one man who ferries people to and from the main island doesn't even keep a reliable schedule (the boat times are listed with a disclaimer: 'sometimes'). Nell, meanwhile, is ready to perform with her old beau. She needs the money, but has also moved on with her life - making chutney in the Pacific Northwest, and seems to be in a good place. Herb remains the put-upon artist, a ball of childish anxiety and ego who has since sold out and seems to regret how things transpired with Nell so many years ago. And then there's Charles who is simply elated to be in the presence of these two. It's a fun group of somewhat conflicting interests to mash together. Once the bickering subsides, Nell and Herb will get to reconnect over their shared music, though someone will of course take the wrong message from it. And it's all a delight to watch: Mulligan and Basden are sublime together, naturally exuding the awkward chemistry of artist exes, with Key as the adorable comedic foil. Basden and Key actually co-wrote the script, based on a short film they and director James Griffiths made 18 years ago. It's still early days for 2025 movie releases, and far too soon to be making any reasonable declarations about how something is going to stack up with the rest of them by December. But this is a special one for any year. 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' is the kind movie that makes it all look so easy - filmmaking, performance, mood, chemistry. It's not going to dominate any cultural conversations, and probably won't go the awards route, but it'll touch your soul if you let it. Like 'Juliet, Naked' from several years ago, a kind of spiritual and tonal sibling, it's an easy one to recommend to just about anyone. Associated Press
