Eccentric lottery winner Charles dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer, back together. The fantasy becomes real when the bandmates and former lovers agree to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig.
The Garden Cinema View:
The Ballad of Wallis Island might have single-handedly revitalised British comedy filmmaking. Among an extraordinary gag-rate (mainly from Tim Key) and some lovely folk music, there is a simple but genuinely affecting study of loss and loneliness. There’s also an intense sense of ‘Pembrokeshire-ness’ that permeates the film; the wintery Welsh coast perfectly resonating with the melancholy tone of the narrative. A gentle and rich watch, and probably the best remote-British-island film since The Wicker Man.
