The Ballad of Wallis Island
2025
***
Director: James Griffiths
Cast: Tim Key, Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Sian Clifford, Arron Long, Richard Ruck, Steve Marsh, Mark Davison, Luke Neal
A down-and-out folk musician is invited to the remote Wallis Island by an eccentric lottery winner to perform a private concert. However, an unexpected reunion with his former bandmate and ex-partner stirs unresolved tensions and buried emotions. This British comedy-drama was expanded from the 2007 short film The One and Only Herb McGwire Plays Wallis Island by James Griffiths, Tim Key, and Tom Basden. The film has a likeable and original set-up, but the story follows a disappointingly predictable path to its inevitably sentimental finale. Tim Key's comedy, full of constant jibber-jabber and playful dialogue, is an acquired taste. Tom Basden's songs failed to leave much of an impact.
