Carey Mulligan loves her husband. For the uninitiated, she’s married to Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons. That partnership has clearly aroused her interest in music, which can be the only explanation why she took this pretty small part in The Ballad of Wallis Island. But Carey’s unconditional love transports us into a little gem of a world that I hope other movie goers get a chance to experience as well.
Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) deboats near shore on this majestic but remote Wallis Island. Charles (Tim Key) is there to meet the music legend, motormouthing all the way to his cottage where Herb shacks up. That’s because Herb is half of the famous 80s band McGwyer and Mortimer (Nell, played by Carey Mulligan), whom Charles is smitten with. So much so that 1) he pays Herb a substantial amount of money to do a one person show for him, and 2) he may or may not have invited Herb’s former duetter to Wallis Island as well.
I thought the trailer for The Ballad of Wallis Island meant I was in for independent schmaltzy crap. But James Griffiths and his cast willed that to not be the case. The majestic shots of Wales’s coastline really make you feel like you’re on holiday with Herb, outside of time itself. And then Tim Key’s Charles starts slowly winning you over. At first that constant chatter can grow irritating from time to time, but the more we learn about the guy, we know this all comes from a good heart and disconnection from the world at large. I could watch hours of his heinous word play on names that never makes sense, getting funnier as it gets dumber. While Key is slowly putting us into a comfy state, Griffiths has these little details that slowly charm you over: local woman Amanda’s (Sian Clifford) grocery store and all the strange items it does/doesn’t have, the dual faucets in Herb’s room, one running constantly, the endless beach bleeding into endless ocean, slowly rising up a very green beautiful hill. These little shots/places/moments help really plant you in a mini vacation for 99 minutes, freed from any obligations and just a chance to hear some horrible Charles puns through a gorgeous sunset while listening to some music.
And that’s the straw in Wallis Island’s drink. Tom Badsen, Herb McGwyer himself, wrote all the songs for this. They’re movie perfect: where McGwyer and Mortimer can use an acoustic guitar and piano and create magic. Like John Carney does so well, Griffiths captures that way music can make the barriers around your heart collapse with one song, never better shown then at a dinner where Charles is moved to tears witnessing a special moment from the pair. But music has limits too; this film smartly brings in Herb and Nell after their lives departed. Being on this island brings them back to a simpler time, where they can cherish these songs. However, Herb has fused the music making process with his relationship, while Nell has the ability to separate the two, a wonderfully adult wrinkle that I wish we had even a few more minutes to explore. It’s still winning enough that our ultimate endpoint will find a way to hit you right in the heart, complete with majestic Wales backdrops in tow.
As beautiful of a time as I had with The Ballad of Wallis Island, it’s also possible that I’ve been hypnotized. Carey Mulligan, why did you choose to take a small part as a less talented musician that is the more emotionally grounded person in a volatile relationship? Oh no! Marcus! Might want to work on your next “I Will Wait” to make 100% sure your wife knows you love her to the moon and back! Don’t be the Herb McGwyer in your relationship!