Imagine you won the lottery and had a chance to ask your favorite musician to play a private concert; who would it be? Beyonce? Taylor Swift? The possibilities are endless, and the choice most likely resides in some sentimental value. It’s the power of music. James Griffiths’ “The Ballad of Wallis Island”s story has a small setting to work with a certain amount of characters to boast. However, it’s bursting with many relatable emotions intertwined within an overall narrative of nostalgic ideals and how they work for different people. For some, revisiting the past will make them think they never should have gotten rid of that part of themselves. Others choose to hang out for a while, but pull up their anchors and sail away once they are reminded the present is where they are meant to be.
Long-tenured music star Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) is a bit ornery about making a trek to the small island. It’s not the usual celebrity red carpet entrance either – there’s one-row boat that gets you to Wallis Island and Herb has already taken an accident plunge in the water. It’s not exactly as though Herb can pack up and go home; he’s offered a lot of money to take this gig. Funding for a solo album collaborating with today’s young and hip-pop stars hangs in the balance, considering the funding he will receive. While griping about a certain standard of accommodations, Herb finds out he’s not playing some cozy festival for a considerable amount of townsfolk. Oh no! The benefactor is a man named Charles (Tim Key).
Charles is a nice fellow who just happened to win the National Lottery twice (imagine winning once!) and lives in a rustic, well-kept mansion. One of the best delights is to see Basden’s hesitancy bounce off Key’s eccentric excitement within their characters. Herb thinks he’s in a Paul Sheldon situation, never to be heard from again. Charles is elated, and his mix of well-timed, unbeknownst puns serve to blunt Herb’s sarcastic tone. Even with his jovial nature, there’s a twinge of sadness inside of him. Herb used to be one of two parts of the folk supergroup McGwyer Mortimer. The opening shots of Griffiths’ film are of the character playing a pristine vinyl of their well-known songs. As a widower, this special acoustic concert means more than just money to Charles.
The group split up at the peak of popularity, and issues remain unresolved. A little wrinkle in this gig is that Charles also invited Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), hoping she and Herb can reclaim some of that musical magic. It’s been quite some time since the duo have seen one another. While Herb is still plugging away in the industry, Nell has left it entirely behind. She’s even married a man named Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). The film notes that the duo was romantically involved, so you can imagine that Michael’s inclusion would complicate things. What do you do? Both Herb and Nell can use the half a million pounds payday. But with many unresolved feelings, can they both reclaim the magic?
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Basden and Key elongate their 2007 short “The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island” in a way that focuses on the trio and works off their charm. It’s a beautiful time to witness Herb and Nell venture down old memories as they peer through the stacks of memorabilia Charles has accumulated over time. There are scenes where he starts at them with complete amazement as they rework their creative chemistry together. It’s even more meaningful, given the personal weight Charles is feeling. With a story like this, it’s commonplace to venture down the “will get they get back together” road. “The Ballad of Wallis Island” doesn’t necessarily fall into that trap. The film has a little trouble figuring out where to place Michael (he often comments to Herb and goes off on a non-descript adventure). This story doesn’t frame itself in the perspective of reigniting a romance. It’s more about realizing things ran their course for a reason.
As the film goes on, Herb’s thorny disposition of playing his old tunes falls away, and he begins to think about the ghosts of the past. While Nell acknowledges the times before, she’s unwavering in standing inside the life she’s built in the present day. Herb’s spontaneous solo album excavation spelled the end for McGwyer Mortimer. Besides the possibility of a one-off reunion, there’s nothing more to revisit from Nell’s standpoint. There’s a certain brevity in how Mulligan handles her character. Nell allows herself to be taken by the journey, but is still distant enough away from it to know it’s temporary.
If “Wallis Island” is about moving through challenging places, the best union to illustrate that is between Herb and Charles. Charles’s warm soul is too contagious not to rub off on Herb. In return, Herb and Nell nudge Charles in the direction of a shopkeeper, who he has a crush on named Amanda (Sian Clifford). The film is not trying to fool you with what it’s about. If anything, you’ll catch on very quickly. Despite this, it throws a couple of misdirects to freshen things up a bit. Ultimately, you have something undeniably heartfelt, a little bit mournful, and characters that will make an impression.
“The Ballad of Wallis Island” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It will be released on March 28th through Focus Features.
