ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Ciao Bambino
A 19-year-old man from a working-class neighbourhood in Naples is assigned to protect an Eastern-European prostitute—and his father’s debts soon force him to choose between his burgeoning love and his father’s demands.
Director
Edgardo Pistone
Actors
Marco Adamo • Anastasiia Kaletchuk • Luciano Pistone • Pasquale Esposito • Salvatore Pelliccia
1h 40m • Rated M • Drama • Italy • Eng Subs
The island setting, the modest production, and the humor that often arises from character rather than contrivance work together to keep the film from ever feeling flat. On the flip side, a few feel the pacing is uneven, or that the secondary characters don’t always land. Still, even these criticisms tend to be soft and in the service of a film that is more heartwarming than perfect.
Overall, the consensus sees The Ballad of Wallis Island as a warm, wistful, and soul-soothing film—modest in scope but rich in feeling. It’s not trying to dazzle, but it digs in where it matters: loss, memory, music, human connection. For many, it’s one of the more emotionally satisfying films of 2025.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a quietly charming British comedy-drama directed by James Griffiths, written by and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, alongside Carey Mulligan. The story centers on Charles, a lonely lottery winner living on a remote Welsh island, who invites his favorite folk duo—Herb McGwyer and Nell Mortimer—to reunite for a private performance. His motive isn’t just fandom; there are unresolved heartbreaks, nostalgia, and grief behind his idealistic gesture.
Critics are largely enamored with the film’s balance of humor and melancholy. Tim Key’s performance as Charles is praised for being endearingly awkward, verbose, and heart-on-sleeve, often using verbal wit to stave off silence. Basden as Herb, and Mulligan as Nell, deliver subtle, emotionally resonant performances, especially when the old romantic and artistic tensions surface—and you begin to feel what’s been lost, as well as what hope might remain. The original music is another highlight; the songs feel lived in, and the film uses them not as spectacle, but as emotional anchors.
Some reviewers point out that the premise is familiar—a fan’s devotee, reunited artists, romantic regrets—but argue that the execution elevates it.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
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Ciao Bambino
Fri 16 Jan 8:00pm ncp
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To complicate matters, young Attillo will also have to repay debts and promises his father made. Soon, Attillo will be forced to choose between freedom, his family, and his romantic heart. Director Edgardo Pistone never falls into predictable tropes, crime cliches or sentimentality, instead offering a very stylish, even cool, but realistic portrayal of a small moment in a very challenging world. Without a doubt, this is a new Italian directorial voice to watch, with a powerful visual approach and a stylish, fresh take on the gritty crime genre. Paolo Rotondo
Critics Roundup
A raw, compassionate portrait of lost youth
Set in the Traiano periphery district of Napoli, Ciao Bambino takes an aesthetic and philosophical approach to tell a story of love, crime and the legacy older generations force on the young. In stunning black and white photography reminiscent of the New Wave of Italian Cinema, we are immersed into a dangerous world where growing up is complicated and uncertain. At 19 years old, young Attillo takes his first job as a minder for a young Ukrainian prostitute. This is a world of survival with little room for sentimentality, yet somehow, a love germinates.