Plot: What’s it about?
I was recently on a trip out to the West Coast, Monterey, California if anyone is curious (or cares). There’s a shopping center there where I walk around, get my Starbucks and ponder life. Ok, maybe pondering life isn’t really up there, but they do have a nice movie theater. For some reason, I was standing outside of it, with my Starbucks in hand and I was reading the list of films playing there. Despite me running this site, I’ve not actually seen a movie in a theater since the early 2010’s (don’t ask). As someone might have already guessed, one of the films playing was The Ballad of Wallis Island. Flash forward 33 days and I’m back home only to see that said film is now arriving on Blu-ray. This is a movie I’d likewise forget or pass over, but there was something about it (the title) that drew me to it. So, here I am, just a shade over a month having “seen” this film on a movie theater and I’ve got to tell you that things happen in very mysterious ways.
Charlie (Tim Key) had previously worked as a male nurse. However this changed when he won the lottery. Using those funds, he spent most of it traveling the world with some friends and, after the funds were depleted he was back to living in a sub-poverty state. But, wouldn’t you know it, he won the lottery again. Some guys have all the luck. And this time he put his winnings into buying a lodge on a remote island in the South Pacific. He also plans to lure Herb Mortimer (Tom Basden) to perform a concert. Mortimer prefers to only perform “intimate” shows and is told there’ll be less than 100 people in attendance. He’s correct. He’ll just be performing for Charlie. In tow is Nell (Carey Mulligan), the other half of the band as she arrives with her husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). Making up the last of the scant cast is Amanda (Sian Clifford).
I remember a movie that had similar themes to this, Waking Ned Divine, a movie in which my wife referred to as “cute.” But she was right. And if this movie sounds vaguely familiar that’s because it’s an adaptation of the same duo’s The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island going way back to 2007. Do the best things really come to those who wait? If you don’t know who Tim Key and Tom Basden are, don’t worry – it’s not like they’re A-list stars. Carey Mulligan, however, is and she continues her roles in lower budget films. Hey, to each her own and she did get up for an Academy Award nomination a few years ago for Promising Young Woman. She’s clearly doing something right. As for the film itself, it’s fun. What more can I say? It’s nice to sit back, relax and just be entertained. I won’t say it’s for everyone, but in the vein of Planes, Trains and Automobiles we’ve got this. And that’s not a bad thing.
Video: How’s it look?
In spite of the majority of the film taking place on a “tropical island” don’t be fooled, there aren’t sun-kissed scenes that’ll make you swoon. Rather, the color palette is rather limited and a bit muted with cloudy-covered skies and such. But the 2.39:1 AVC HD encode does make the most of what it’s got and I was pleased to find a very sharp and detailed picture. I don’t know why I used the word “surprised”, as most new-to-the-format movies will look this good. At any rate, the usual caveats are all there and I find it difficult to believe that anyone will have a problem with how this looks.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Likewise the DTS HD Master Audio mix has some moments, as we might expect with a musically-based film. Vocals are pitch perfect and solid, surrounds aren’t used a whole lot but given the nature of this film, I wasn’t really expecting it. And that’s good, since they really didn’t deliver! Only kidding. There’s warm, gentle ambiance that fills the air in some scenes, but by and large this is a pretty standard track that gets the job done, plain and simple.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Here’s hoping you like the movie (and you should) as this has no special features.
The Bottom Line
I don’t use phrases like “it’s sweet and charming” all that often, but with this one…it is. Likely there’ll be a lot of folks that will miss this and perhaps it will (and should) find new life on disc or on a streaming service. The lack of any special features is a bit disappointing considering how long this project has been around, but still – better to have than not.
