ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The English Patient
World War II, Tuscany. Nurse Hana cares for a burned, amnesiac crash survivor. As his memories return, a tragic love affair with a married woman unfolds, entangling them in betrayal, danger, and passion. A sweeping, emotional epic about love, loss, and the scars of war. One of the finest films ever made.
Director
Anthony Minghella
Actors
Ralph Fiennes • Juliette Binoche • Kristin Scott Thomas • Willem Dafoe • Naveen Andrews
2h 42m • Rated M • Romance, War Drama • UK/USA (1996)
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
The English Patient
Fri 9 Jan 4:00pm 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
He is entirely bandaged, covered in burns and speaks perfect English, but has no recollection of who he is. In Hana’s care, they begin to piece together his memories and we are transported into an extraordinary sweeping story of love, betrayal and passion. He is the Hungarian Count Almasy and was fatally in love with a married woman (Kirsten Scott Thomas). In the unravelling of the story, we discover that Hana and the mysterious man are in danger of revenge by an intelligence agent named Caravaggio (Willam Dafoe). The fates of all characters become entwined in an epic, dangerous, and breathtakingly romantic story. One of the greatest films in my lifetime. Paolo Rotondo
Critics Roundup
Epic, haunting, and emotionally luxuriant
The English Patient is arguably one of the most unforgettable films of the 90s. It was adapted by Anthony Minghella from the Booker Prize-winning novel by Michael Ondaatje. It’s WWII during the liberation of Italy, inside the ancient Monastery - Villa San Girolamo Tuscany, and nurse Hana (Juliette Binoche) cares for a severely burned man. She has lost her own true love in the horror of war and forms a deep connection with him. He was rescued, barely alive from a burning plane, shot down in the North African desert.