“Your music changed everything.”
Those who don’t know me also don’t know my intense love of the Spice Girls, the British female group that virtually dominated the late 90s. As a fan for nearly 30 years, I’ve seen them through every music video, interview, tour, and album (both solo and group). My introduction to them coincided with some monumental life-altering events during my formative years, allowing them to be a form of escape for me when I needed them most. Needless to say, my fandom made me ripe for bullying in high school. It’s as pointless to hold resentment towards my tormentors now as it was then since those who laughed at my love of the group just didn’t understand; and quite frankly, they didn’t need to. My love for them as artists was tied to a synchronicity and an aligning of energy that was unique and strong enough to endure. While it’s impossible to truly get what draws a fan to music beyond what I just described, The Ballad of Wallis Island comes closer than any film ever has with it’s well-drawn characters, potent humor, and soulful sensibilities.
In The Ballad of Wallis Island, musician Herb (Tom Basden) has traveled to the titular remote seaside village to play a small gig and collect a payday, which he desperately needs with the upcoming release of his newest album. Upon his arrival, he is introduced to Charles (Tim Key), the host and organizer of the event. It’s quickly revealed to a stunned Herb that Charles has funded the entire gig for himself as the only attendee. What’s more, Herb’s former musical (and romantic) partner Nell (Carey Mulligan) has also been hired to perform, stirring up memories of the past and changing the lives of everyone involved.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a film of two sides. The first is a tale of artists reckoning with their creative and personal pasts. It’s a notion we know plays out in real life. Many times we hear of artists disappearing from the spotlight to retreat and hopefully find themselves again. But so rarely do we see an (admittedly heightened) illustration of finding that creative spark that some artists feel was gone forever. Herb is the perfect vessel for this as someone who is still making music but hasn’t been in love with it for quite some time. We get the feeling that Herb’s desire to keep making music as a solo artist stems from both the need to continuously prove himself and the general fear of losing momentum, not fully realizing that he lost it long ago. To see an almost totally disenchanted artist who has spent years clinging to the art despite falling out of love with it is heartbreaking and certainly makes Herb a tragic character, especially given the fact that Nell hasn’t suffered the same fate, choosing instead to simply walk away. Seeing Herb’s creative drive slowly come back the from artistic doldrums as a result of Charles private gig and his reunion with Nell is the kind of character journey that’s so invigorating to watch.
On the flip side, The Ballad of Wallis Island is a testament to a fan’s devotion to the music, the power it holds for them, and the undying love they have for those artists who have created something that, for a whole host of reasons, have resonated in a truly long-lasting way. The film’s plot boasts some unusual circumstances, to say the least. I for one couldn’t scrape enough pennies to wrangle one Spice Girl over for a brunchtime concert, let alone all five. But far-fetched circumstances aside, the film’s screenplay still speaks to what artists give their fans without realizing it. The inspiration to move their lives forward, the motivation to cope with turbulent times, and the will to exist despite the various hurdles that life throws everyone, are all tools that Charles got from Herb and Nell. Without delving into the sentimental, the film does a superb job of exploring the meaningful quality of the artist/fan relationship. Eventually it’s revealed that Herb and Nell were Charles’ wife’s favorite group. Now deceased, they’ve become his favorite group as well and have helped keep the memory of his late wife alive and strong.
The performances in The Ballad of Wallis Island are as equally responsible for its charm and heart as the script and filmmaking. Basden gives great life to Herb. The actor displays the character’s decidedly rough edges brilliantly before finding his humanity all while giving everything required of a classic straight man. His scenes with Mulligan are filled with such richness thanks to the chemistry between the two and the actress’ ability to balance the ethereal qualities of her character with a realness that makes her someone very much worth exploring. It’s Key who is the film’s biggest asset, however. As the orchestrator of events, the actor makes Charles an instantly lovable human being; a teddy bear who comes complete with a groundedness with regards to his past, which the actor lays out beautifully.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a rarity in this day and age; an original piece of work which builds a world that seems like it was made solely for our characters to exist in. In a way, it feels as if the film itself was made solely for us to experience and take in. This is no easy feat. To create a piece of art that speaks to a certain kind of individual who hones in on the work itself and feels instantly simpatico with the one(s) who made it is the best thing anyone could hope for. It’s probably for this reason that I desperately wish we could have had more time with the main three characters and their various pasts; to delve deeper into what made each one so endearingly and uniquely them. But what we have here works tremendously. As near perfect as films get, The Ballad of Wallis Island is a beautiful and earnest tale about the powerful connection to music and art itself.
