Plot
Musician Herb McGwyer—formerly half of folk duo McGwyer Mortimer—arrives on the remote Wallis Island off the coast of Wales, where eccentric widowed superfan Charles Heath has contracted him to play a show before a select private audience. After winning the lottery, Charles travelled the world with his late wife Marie, who loved McGwyer Mortimer, spending all their money. They then won the lottery again and retired to the island, where Marie died five years prior to the events of the film.
Charles brings Herb to stay at his home, presenting his £500,000 fee as a suitcase of cash. Having transitioned from folk music to commercial pop, Herb intends to use the money to finance the next album in his struggling solo career. He fends off Charles's questions about his professional and personal breakup with his former musical and romantic partner Nell Mortimer. Charles reveals the makeshift "stage"—a pallet on the beach—and eventually admits that he will be the show's sole audience.
Herb is surprised by the arrival of Nell, whom he has not seen in years, and her American husband Michael, whom he meets for the first time. Charles is thrilled to have reunited McGwyer Mortimer, but tensions flare over dinner when Nell, who has retired from music and now sells homemade chutney at farmers' markets in Portland, Oregon, discovers that Charles is paying her £200,000 less than Herb for the gig. After a heated argument, Herb storms off to his room and attempts to leave the island in the morning, but stays only after Michael confides that he and Nell need the money.
Charles shows Herb and Nell his collection of McGwyer Mortimer memorabilia, including Herb's old guitar and what turns out to be a counterfeit lock of Nell's hair. After Michael leaves for a birdwatching tour on the far side of the island, Herb and Nell reconnect as they rehearse their old folk songs for a deeply moved Charles. Playing tennis with Herb, Charles notes that the only strong aspect of his game is his serve, since he always plays alone. Herb urges Charles to ask out Amanda, a single mother who runs the island's only shop, while Charles insists there is still chemistry between Herb and Nell.
Herb and Nell bring Charles to spend a joyful "Seamen's Day" on the beach, writing wishes on sky lanterns and releasing them at sunset. Later, Herb tells Nell that he is still in love with her, but she reveals she is pregnant and accuses him of fixating on their past. Leaving a real lock of her hair for an understanding Charles, who urges her to continue writing music, Nell departs.
Lashing out at Charles, Herb packs his things, including his old guitar, and storms off in the rain. He leaves his bags with Amanda, who has learned about his music from her teenage son, but returns to Charles's house. Michael arrives in the morning to collect Nell's money—after Charles lied to him that the gig took place early—and lectures Herb about his pursuit of Nell and the sorry state of his musical career.
When a despondent Herb wades out to retrieve one of the lanterns, Charles assumes he is trying to commit suicide and tries to save him, but Herb rescues Charles instead. Having arranged the show for the fifth anniversary of Marie's death, Charles accepts that forcing a McGwyer Mortimer reunion was a mistake and offers to pay Herb regardless. However, the message on the sky lantern reveals Charles’ love for Marie, inspiring Herb to play the show and invite Amanda on Charles's behalf. Herb performs for them late into the night, dedicating a final song to Marie.
The next day, Herb thanks Charles as they part ways, hugging him goodbye. After returning home, Charles discovers that Herb left the money and his guitar, signed with his real name—"Your biggest fan, Chris Pinner". Amanda arrives, dressed for a game of tennis. As the credits play, Chris, no longer using his stage name, records a new folk song, "The Ballad of Wallis Island".
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 96% of 114 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "The Ballad of Wallis Island hums along a sweet melody without lapsing into outright sentimentality, mining a great deal of warmth from its humble premise." [19] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [20]
Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "The director James Griffith's The Ballad of Wallis Island is a sublime, adorable comedy whose roots can be traced to a short Griffith made eighteen years ago." [21] Critic Bob Mondello reviewed the film favourably, writing for NPR that it is "at once an odd-couple bromance, a quite respectable musical outing, and a nostalgic look at the memories we all lock up in the harmonies in our heads – the ones we carry with us through life." [22]
