by Ivy Wright
One of the most achingly emotional films of the year, James Griffiths’ The Ballad of Wallis Island is a triumphant dramedy that beautifully looks at loss and connection.
The film stars Tim Key as Charles Heath, a widower who, on the 5 year anniversary of his wife’s passing, attempts to reunite his favourite folk duo, the bitterly divorced McGwyer Mortimer, played by Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan respectively.
The reunion forces the three to reckon with their past and work through unresolved feelings and residual emotion. The performances by the three main cast members are remarkable.
Key is incredibly charming as Charles, radiating a warmth and sincerity that feels profoundly real, making his moments of grief over his wife’s passing all the more heartbreaking. Basden and Mulligan have excellent chemistry as the musical duo, giving performances characterised by stolen glances and unsaid words, leaving the audience feeling as if they know the pair’s relationship intimately.
The screenplay, co-written by Key and Basden, is quite moving, depicting these characters struggles with empathy and emotion, and is helped enormously by Griffiths’ direction. He gives the film a sense of warmth, with his cinematography featuring warm oranges and deep blues, one of many directorial choices that act in service of the material and help to create a world that feels lived in and incredibly real and distinct, which makes his film all the more affecting.
Overall, The Ballad of Wallis Island is a triumph of small-budget filmmaking and will affect you greatly, making you reflect on your own experiences with loss and connection.
Watch Trailer Here: