ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Gospel According to Mary
A young Mary of Nazareth––forbidden to read but filled with wonder—befriends her teacher Joseph. As their bond deepens into love, her destiny is upended by a divine annunciation that challenges both their future and free will.
Director
Paolo Zucca
Actors
Benedetta Porcaroli • Alessandro Gassmann • Emma Benini
1h 38m • Rated M • Drama • Italy (2023) • Eng Subtitles
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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Gospel According to Mary
Wed 7 Jan 8:00pm ncp
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What will this mean for the ‘Annunciation’? Benedetta Porcaroli as Mary and Alessandro Gassman as Joseph, genuinely engage and draw us in portraying such iconic roles. In my view, it is a long-overdue feminine hymn to free will and a statement against ignorance. It feels to me like Mary has waited millennia to tell her own story. The film is inspired by the 1979 novel of the same title by Barbara Alberti. Gospel According to Mary is a fascinating tale of love, destiny, duty and rebellion. Paolo Rotondo
Critics Roundup
Bold, intimate, and quietly radical
Sardegna’s craggy beauty doubles as Biblical Palestine in this thoughtful imagining of Mary’s untold story. Director Paolo Zucca’s 21st-century perspective depicts her as a sharply intelligent, curious, rebellious spirit that refuses to be constrained by the limitations of her society. Mary has a hunger for freedom, knowledge and wisdom and a curiosity for everything forbidden to women. Joseph’s character is brilliantly portrayed as the teacher and confidant who educates and cares for her. In a brilliant twist, they fall in love.