Year: 2025
Director: James Griffiths
Finding ourselves in the Stratford Westfields shopping centre at 10:30 in the morning on a Sunday having dropped off our daughter to an all day netball tournament in nearby Leyton, and our son at the Elizabeth Line to go into central London, we needed something to do. Having already lingered over a Popeyes breakfast and with the shoppping centre pretty much dormant until midday, we wandered up to the Vue to see what was on early.
Imagine my delight that The Ballad of Wallis Island was one of the available choices. Tickets bought and then a quick detour to Greggs to buy water (does anybody buy food and drink in the cinema?) we took our seats.
It starts with a small boat chugging to a Welsh island with a folk singer miserably enduring the trip in order to play a gig on the island. Unbenownst to him, it is a reunion concert with his ex partner and girlfriend. The rest of the the film fills its hour and a half or so with a beautifully paced balancing act between melancholy and muted joy.
There are plenty of chuckle out loud moments, some splendid wordplay and a gentle sense of the absurd. It’s a feelgood film without the saccherine and with plenty of heart and intelligence.
Both Tim Key and Tom Basden are excellent in it. Tim Key had several moments where you could feel his conflicting emotions. Irritating (he talks a lot) but alwasy endearing, the balancing act he performed is mightily impressive. Tom Basden was similarly excellent – his grumpiness and quiet desparation making you not quite sure whether you should root for him.
The script is great, the small cast all excellent (Carey Mulligan is the big star but was perfectly part of the ensemble). The music is also believeable and enjoyable good enough to support the storyline of a once successful artist who has made some poor choices.
I’d go and see it if I were you.
Might appeal to people who enjoyed:
Films without any special effects.
I hadn’t heard of this film and your review makes me want to see it.
Thank you.
Trailer below.
Loved it great film
It’s a peach. An absolute peach of a film.
Have you seen the Banshees of Inisherin?
It’s on the list. It’s just moved up the list.
And so it should it’s a great film. Barry Keoghan has a minor part but he’s great. He was even better in Bird which I’d thoroughly recommend too.
I’ll definitely check out ‘Ballad of Wallis’ and ‘Bird’ as Keoghan seems to be an actor who’s very worth watching. I saw ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ for the first time just recently. I thought it was brilliant and, as with ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, it was Keoghan’s performance that really made an impression rather than the two big name leads. I quite liked ‘Calm With Horses’ and ‘Bring Them Down’ and he was good in ‘Saltburn’ too, though I thought it was a pretty naff film. I see from IMDB that he was also in ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘Chernobyl’, though I don’t remember him in either.
I loved it – I wasn’t expecting much from it, but it’s one of my favourite movies of the year so far. The 4 leads are excellent, but Tim Key is amazing – an extremely funny and poignant performance.
Been getting terrific reviews and will see first chance i get
No sign of a release date for Oz yet, boo.
We went to see the film this afternoon, largely based on recommendations here. I was a bit worried by prominence of Key, who I’ve always found more of an irritating second string player than a lead, but he finds depths which I never knew him capable of in the role. Although his character is an irritant he really leans into it. The line about Colchester Corn Exchange got a laugh as we were watching it in Colchester Curzon, and if the Corn Exchange stopped being a gig venue before Herb/Chris was born that’s hardly going to spoil the enjoyment of 99.99% of viewers. Perhaps I can best convey the effect on the audience by reporting that almost all of us stayed in our seats in silence as the final song played over the credits.
Heading to see it on Thursday due to the recommendations here.
We are booked to see it next week. The owner of our local cinema recommended it in her weekly blog as being her favourite feel good film of the year.
I watched half of it last night. Then I had to go to bed because tired, but am very much looking forward to watching the rest of it later. However I must say, I greatly appreciated having subtitles. Not because the sound is bad, but because there are so many funny little asides, delivered very quickly and very deadpan. I reckon hearers watching it at a cinema might miss half of them.
I’ve been to the cinema a couple of times where the film is subtitled which certainly helps.
We had an unexpected free Sat night & went to see this at Home in Manchester. I have to agree with all comments above, this is a superb film & well worth a watch.
Saw it at the weekend with the family at our local independent, the UPP. We all loved it.
Didn’t go in with great expectations… really enjoyed it. Loved the tennis court.
Also given me two sayings for the football season:
‘Wowzers in me trousers’ and ‘I’m Dame Judied’ (Judi Denched = Drenched).