• Release year: 2025
• Director: James Griffiths.
• Producers: Steve Coogan and Rupert Majendie.
• Screenplay by: Tom Basden and Tim Key.
• Cinematography by: G. Magni Ágústsson.
• Music by: Adem Ilhan.

Shotgun Commentary: an essay on lost love.

Review

The Ballad of Wallis Island is one of those films you either love, hate, or could not care less about. In order to let you choose, it is necessary to learn the gist of it. Essentially, a man who is not over a breakup is put in the position to confront the woman he loves, who is now married to another man. Things go pretty much as you expect them to go in real life.

A series of unfortunate events

This story of melancholic romance takes place in the perfect backdrop for any story that wants to scream gloom: Carmarthenshire, Wales. Although in the film, obviously, it is called Wallis Island. This gorgeous location serves the perfect combination of natural beauty and violence, with stunning greenery and daunting storms. An endless rain that becomes not only circumstantial but key to the story itself.

From the very beginning, you know you are up for a tale of suffering. Within the first five minutes, protagonist Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) gets thrown in the sea, his whole luggage gets soaked, and he realises that he got scammed on his accommodation.

Not to mention, he is now stuck with the very strange man who paid him to come in the first place. To make matters worse, he learns that his ex-girlfriend and ex-bandmate Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) is also coming. This is merely the starting point. The story does nothing but escalate in tragedies until the very end, so you can imagine what awaits.

Life itself

Surprisingly, a story that could’ve turned into an incredibly overdramatic tale or even a fantastic horror movie, manages to keep the tragedy quite… sweet? It sounds crazy to say it out loud, but that is the best word to describe it. Sad moments are a natural part of life, they help us learn and appreciate better times, so it is utterly delightful to see the kind of daily tragedies we all go through at one point or another represented in such a mature and wholesome way.

There are no crazy risks, or incredible twists of fate, there is just… life. Not everything goes the way we plan or expect, and that is fine too. A message that needs to be remembered in a world where everything tends to get overdramatised and radicalised (social media, I’m looking at you).

If one was to single out a theme in this feature, that would be lost love. Whether that is due to a tragic passing or simply because things sometimes don’t work out, everyone has experienced the feeling of losing someone you used to love dearly. Even if it is just the loss of that connection you once had with someone, all of these situations hurt, and they are usually portrayed as these life-ending moments for the characters that go through them. But they are not. Not really. And the narrative of The Ballad of Wallis Island makes sure to remind you of that in the most heartwarming way.

Hope for the romantic genre

Carrying this story are Basden, Mulligan, and, in the role of the eccentric millionaire, Charles Heath (Tim Key). If this film is anything to go by, Basden has definitely mastered the role of suffering man, providing a character that is realistically imperfect but not dramatically sorrowful. Mulligan, on the other hand, is the shiny character of the bunch. She is carefree, empathetic, kind and sweet. An attitude that is complemented by her warm, earthy outfits, making her essentially the sun in an otherwise completely drab environment.

Furthermore, she is undoubtedly the most self-aware and mature character of all, completely accepting of the past and hopeful for the future, while also aware and grateful for the present. Naturally, she isn’t perfect either, but in terms of emotional maturity, she is one of the top characters in the history of cinema. A great example that should be more popular in mainstream content.

The secret ingredient

As for Key’s character, his unexpected layers keep him from becoming an annoying comic relief, delivering instead a surprisingly heart-wrenching story with a hopeful ending. It is hard to create a character so simple yet so complex. Luckily, the odds were in favour for Charles Heath and you can now enjoy his wonderful emotional journey.

All in all, The Ballad of Wallis Island is a bittersweet love story that speaks of heartbreak and loss, but also hope and acceptance. The weight of its themes is perfectly balanced with just enough comedy to keep you comfortably engaged, providing a wonderful experience for anyone looking into watching a bit of cosy angst.

Thanks to Universal for big-screen access! The Ballad of Wallis Island will be released the 30th of May.

The Ballad of Wallis Island is now screening at Leiden International Film Festival in the Netherlands! Screenings on October the 13th, 16th and 19th. Find all the info here!

Advice to take from this movie:

• Appreciate what you have while you have it, don’t wait for someone else to appreciate it to realise its worth.
• If it’s raining, hold your dramatic moment for later.
• In life, not everything works as planned, and that’s okay.

What’s your take? Have you watched The Ballad of Wallis Island? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀