The Ballad of Wallis Island [10/10]

The kind of indie film we seem to see so little of nowadays, The Ballad of Wallis Island, clearly a labor of love for Tom Basden and Tim Key, who co-wrote the screenplay and star in the key roles. When a wealthy, eccentric dweller on a bleak British island splashes cash to try to resurrect his memories of a cult folk duo (famous in 2009) by paying them to do a gig on his isle, he sets in motion a sequence of small-time dramas that beautifully fall into place. Key plays the awkward, punning rich man with brilliant repartee and slowly revealed emotionality, while Barden plays the duo’s male half, now a pop star, and he portrays the persona of a rock star unsure of his artistic integrity to a tee. The star turn is from Carey Mulligan who is the duo’s abandoned female half; her performance, less important, is nonetheless pitch perfect. The cinematography is stunning, the supporting cast is wonderful, the low-kay plot continually surprises, the music is suitably fine, and the climax is an emotional (but by no means sentimental) triumph. My favorite movie of the year so far, The Ballad of Wallis Island has it all: truthfulness, perceptiveness, intelligence, and beauty.