The post John Donne said, ‘No Man is an island’….we’re guessing that he never met Barry Island. But for Charles (Tim Key) he has intentionally cut himself off from the mainland to live alone on Wallis Island where he appears to have doubled the population with only Amanda (Sian Clifford) seemingly the only other resident who runs the local sparsely stocked shop. Invited to the island is Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) a folk singer booked to play a small intimate gig there for a few fans – the ballad of Wallis Island. A very few fans. In fact just one fan. Charles. Because Charles is a huge fan of Herb’s previous band the duo McGwyer & Mortimer and owns guitars, memorabilia and a load of press clippings including the news of the duos acrimonious split.
Charles is a man of few social skills and has no qualms about why the duo split up. Awkward enough to ask even more awkward when Herb discovers that Charles has invited Nell Mortimer herself (Carey Mulligan) to the island also for a reunion gig regardless. Turning up with her new husband Michael ( Akemnji Ndifornyen) makes Herb even more self-conscious but like Herb she’s there for the money ( Charles source of money is one of the many delightful reveals in the film) with her career having stalled and his quickly following. For every George Michael and Robbie Williams that go on to solo successful careers there’s a Zayn Malick, Geri Halliwell & Lee Ryan and Herb is definitely in the latter with his latest album a desperate collaboration with contemporary names in music genres far from the folk sound where he made his name.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is one of those low key independent films that stands out because of its performances and its writing. Based on a short film that Basden & Key wrote together this is expanded to feature film length which peals away the layers of its two male characters. Both Charles and Herb have suffered loss and their few days together brings a dawning that they can’t cling to the past and that happiness is in the future.
Key has appeared in so many well regarded comedies most notably as Sidekick Simon to Steve Coogan’s monstrous Alan Partridge but has also had small stand out rolls in other comedies such as Ricky Gervais’ ‘After Life’ as a date from Hell. Basden is perhaps best known for ‘After Life’ too playing the newspaper editor boss to Gervais’s lead character and like that series there is an underling sadness often captured here with close ups of Key’s face staring into middle distance and tearing up.
The trailer for the film portrays ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ as a broad comedy which it isn’t though it is not without its moments to make you smile. What is is a film that’s warm, melancholy and wonderful.
related feature : Tim Key pops up in the ‘Mickey 17’ reviewed here
related feature : Bobcat Goldthwait and the ‘God Bless America’ controversy,
Here’s The Ballad of Wallis Island trailer……
