It’s really nice…when we get nice things.

While possibly not the most sharply original story we’ve ever seen, The Ballad of Wallis Island makes up for any moderate shortcomings by being washed in buckets and buckets of charm being washed on to shore in this story about learning how to love again, in so many different ways.

Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner, lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden & Carey Mulligan) back together. His fantasy turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig.

It’s rare enough to see a movie like this with its predictable beats unfold for us in such an enjoyable fashion but with The Ballad of Wallis Island it’s all about the execution.  The movie itself is borderline corny but becomes so easy for us to get emotionally invested in the leads that we can’t help but get swept up for the ride.

While director James Griffiths ultimately has more TV experience then feature experience, he is a steady hand and moves this love story along at a fairly decent clip and never really gets hung up anywhere as we explore these awkward characters truly opening themselves up to one another and as much as this is about romantic love there’s also a layer of “bro-mantic” love here that can’t be ignored.  Plus he also worked on the original short from which this based so there was truly no better to get into the meat of this story in feature form, other than its writers and stars of course.

Stars Tim Key as Charlie and Tom Basden as Herb McGwyer (who also co-wrote the screenplay) know these guys inside and out, and Charlie and Herb are way more a like then they want to admit.  Tim shines as the eccentric rich guy who is trying to recapture that moment in his life when he knew true love and happiness to some awkward levels is a joy to watch.  While Charlie needed Herb, little did Herb know that he also needed Charlie.  These are both guys who are emotionally lost and seeing them come together as Charlie kind of sandbags the whole situation together, while predictable is endearingly hilarious.

As good as the guys are though you could easily argue that Carey Mulligan is the engine that makes this all tick as Nell Mortimer.  She’s moved on from her rock star days but needs the financial windfall from this unexpected reunion show.  As these former lovers and band mates begin to coalesce with their super fan in Charles, she serves as the catalyst for both men.  One who we learn is stuck in the past and the other who maybe ran away from his past a little too quickly.

Sure it all runs through the semi-standard beats of a rom-com, but in its uniquely charming and socially awkward way; The Ballad of Wallis Island manages to embrace the power of connection though beautiful music, beautiful country side or simply embracing the idea of being in the right place at the right time in order to be able to share something of yourself, which ultimately never comes easy but is always super rewarding when it does.