ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
Il Postino
Opening night film. All tickets $25. Includes refreshments.
Mario, a shy postman on a quiet Italian island, finds his world widened when exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes his only delivery stop. As Neruda introduces him to metaphors and the magic of language, Mario discovers confidence, purpose, and a new way to pursue the woman he loves. What begins as an unlikely friendship becomes a gentle, life-changing awakening.
Director
Michael Radford
Actors
Massimo Troisi • Maria Grazia Cucinotta • Philippe Noiret • Renato Scarpa
1h 48m • Rated M • Romantic Drama • Italy (1994) • 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
BOOK SEATS FOR
Il Postino
Mon 5 Jan 8:00pm ncp
52 seats left
All tickets must be prepaid online or at the counter.
Sales are subject to our cancellation policy. No phone bookings
ncp - no complimentary passes
cap - captioned for hard of hearing
Soon, Mario’s good-natured, yet naive questions opens the door to an unexpected friendship. The power of language and poetry expands Mario’s horizons. Troisi’s depiction of Mario’s uneducated but intellectual spirit is drawn with such tenderness and humour that it is both profound and hilarious in the same moments. Mario soon wishes to use the newly discovered power of words to woo the beautiful Beatrice. The uplifting and allegorical simplicity of Il Postino disguises its beauty and its weight. This is a film that can truly be called ‘Cinema’ and deserves to be seen on the big screen.
Critics Roundup
Poetry in motion; tender and timeless
Without any exaggeration, Il Postino is one of Italy’s most beloved films of the last 40 years. Appealing for its delightfully laid-back philosophising, disarming charm and the restrained performance by the comic genius Massimo Troisi. Set in the 1950s on the idyllic Phlegraean Island of Procida, off the coast of Naples, it is a world left behind by the progress of mainland Italy. Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (played by veteran French actor Philippe Noiret) is exiled to the island for his political convictions. Mario, the seemingly guileless postman, is intrigued as he delivers stacks of fan mail to the famous poet.