By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***** RUNTIME: 100 minutes

Key and Basden wrote the screenplay for this charming film which is essentially an unlikely bromance meditating on loss, nostalgia, music, its ability to bring together and the relationship between fan and star.

• Read on for reasons including how this is the best film of the year so far

Key (Art, Old Vic) plays eccentric lottery winner Charles who invites Basden’s musician Herb McGwyer to perform on the remote and titular island where he now lives.

Herb realises Charles has also summoned Carey Mulligan’s Nell Mortimer to reunite the folk duo McGwyer Mortimer that the lottery winner and his now late wife Marie used to love.

When Mortimer arrives with her US husband, it becomes clear Charles will be the only audience member for the private gig as McGwyer Mortimer begin to rekindle their chemistry during rehearsals.

Fleabag‘s Sian Clifford plays Amanda the island’s quirky shopkeeper who may not stock rice to dry out a soaked iPhone but can offer rice pudding.

There’s a Local Hero vibe exploring the ridiculousness of city folk exposed to a far-flung honest environment they are unused to as Herb is forced to contemplate his current commercial music direction in the harsh light of the authenticity of reconnecting with the material inspired by a former flame.

The Ballad Of Wallis Island is about the power of heartfelt music to reunite as both fan Charles and star Herb find their fates are intertwined and together they can both find some redemption to save each other.

It wouldn’t work anywhere near so well if the music didn’t convince as the sort of folk songs that could have been hugely commercially popular a decade or so ago and they really don’t disappoint.

The island itself is also a beautiful summer setting for the joyful shared experience of an outdoor gig.

Ballad is also an absolute tearjerker with the power of music at its heart and quite possibly the best film of the year so far.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy The Ballad Of Wallis Island Tickets
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