The Ballad of Wallis Island review – funny, melancholy yarn of a folk duo reunited by oddball superfan

Tim Key bring his trademark pleasant awkwardness to the island-owner who pays Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan to come and play for himFictional folk duo McGwyer Mortimer (played by Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan) were big, back in the day – the day in question being circa 2009. But they weren’t that big: not Dylan-big, not even Cat Stevens-big. They graced some NME covers, they played Glastonbury, but even at the height of their success they could definitely pop to the shops without getting mobbed. Still, you’re always Dylan-big to your biggest fans, and Charles (Tim Key) is exactly that. He’s also a reclusive lottery winner, giving him the motive and the means to stage a private reunion gig for an audience of one on a remote island.Basden and Key starring in a film about a folk band reunion might have you expecting something a little bit sketch comedy, but this turns out to be a different beast: a funny but also melancholy piece of work. It’s more interested in maintaining a consistent and sincere emotional connection than in wild virtuoso showboating. Continue reading...

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