The Ballad of Wallis Island: bittersweet British comedy is a 'delight'
A reclusive millionaire lures his favourite folk duo to an island for an 'awkward reunion'

I did not have high expectations for "The Ballad of Wallis Island", said Danny Leigh in the Financial Times. Developed from a 2007 short film by its co-stars, poet-comedian Tim Key and his writing partner Tom Basden, it is "a British comedy low in budget and high in whimsy" – a formula that "I for one have learnt to dread". Yet the film turns out to be a "delight".
Key plays Charles, a verbose, socially awkward widower who has won the Lottery and used the proceeds to buy a crumbling house on an island somewhere off the coast of Britain. Living in near-total isolation, he invites his favourite musician – washed-up mid-2000s folk star Herb McGwyer (Basden) – to come to the island to perform for him in its grounds. Yet when the latter arrives, he proves to be "a sour egomaniac" with little patience for Charles's fanboy enthusiasm and constant, excruciating punning. Herb is inclined to flee, but badly needs his promised £500,000 fee.
In booking Herb, Charles omitted to mention a crucial detail, said Wendy Ide in The Observer: he has arranged for him to play alongside his former bandmate and lover Nell (Carey Mulligan), who is now happily married and living in America. Herb has never got over Nell, so the stage is set for an "awkward reunion".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mulligan is terrific in the role, said Francesca Steele in Sight and Sound: her real-life celebrity helps the audience to "see Nell the way Herb sees her – a grander, greater thing than him". The duets between the two, when they come, work "wonderfully", and it's lovely to watch the developing bond between the needy Charles and the chippy Herb. This is "simple" but effective filmmaking – "an exceedingly British comedy that steers just clear of mawkish".
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Controversial GOP plan to sell millions of federal acres hits major roadblock
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republican Sen. Mike Lee says he'll revisit legislation to sell millions of acres of federally held land to create 'freedom zones' of single family homes
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
5 high-concept animated science fiction shows for grown-ups
The Week Recommends How filmmakers are using a different medium to bring visionary science fiction to life
-
Lovestuck: a 'warm-hearted' musical with a 'powerhouse score'
The Week Recommends Team behind the hit podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno have created a hilarious show about a disastrous viral Tinder date
-
Outrageous: glossy Mitford family drama is full of 'fun, fashion and froth'
The Week Recommends Adaptation of Mary Lovell's biography examines the scandalous lives of the aristocratic sisters
-
F1: The Movie – a fun but formulaic 'corporate tie-in'
Talking Point Brad Pitt stars as a washed up racing driver returning three decades after a near-fatal crash
-
Lost Boys: a 'sobering' journey to the heart of the manosphere
The Week Recommends James Bloodworth examines the 'cranks and hucksters' making money through 'masculine discontent'
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great offices
Feature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more
-
Film review: Materialists
Feature Two suitors seek to win over a jaded matchmaker
-
Music reviews: Haim, Addison Rae, and Annahstasia
Feature "I Quit," "Addison," and "Tether"