Movie: The Ballad of Wallis Island. A sleeper that I keep recommending to people because I found it sweet, sometimes bittersweet, lovely, funny, touching, well acted, and well written. Basically everything I was looking for in a movie. A double lottery winning eccentric Charles (Tim Key) invites his late wife's favorite folk musician Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) to give a concert, unknowingly just for him. Herb was part of a famous duo before breaking up with his partner. I really wanted her name to be Peaches. Sadly, it was not. It was Nell Mortimer, played by Carey Mulligan. Desperately in need of money, the now washed-up Herb agrees to the deal until he realizes Charles has invited Nell for an historical reunion concert of McGwyer Mortimer.
At first Herb finds Charles strange, then annoying, then funny and ultimately endearing. For an actor to pull this off, not only with a character in the same film, but also with the audience, was amazing to watch. Lots of props to Tim Key. The original music/soundtrack of tremendous, soulful folk songs is extremely pleasing. Tom Basden wrote all the songs. I hope he's writing a lot more exactly like these. Look for the songs around the net. Worth every moment. The movie's ending was unexpected but seemed true to the way life works. Filmed in Wales in 18 days.
