Dandelion
Nichole Riegel, writer and director of the film ‘Dandelion’ chooses a limited period the whole action takes place over a number of days, but the movie immerses the viewer so much into the head of its lead that it seems that this is not a days but rather conquering an entire consciousness. Dandelion (Kiki Layne) is not satisfied with her life. She is a musician, who has dreams of being great, who is from Cincinnati and has a daytime job performing in a hotel bar full of uninterested and chattering patrons. The emotions and energy that she invests into her lyrics and melodies get overshadowed by ladies’ nights and social media. And even so, after those events, she goes back home to take over the care of her sick mother, and hears home call-related dialogs, childish fights, negative type of feelings towards being ‘a forty years old wander,’ etc.
After poster pamphlets illustrating inviting girls with messages about South Dakotan Lets ride and biker music singles come to Dandelion’s notice courtesy of a bartender, Dandelion decides “to go for it”. There, Scottish musician Casey (Thomas Doherty) who is a bit moody and quiet and she is mutually introduced to his circle. Occupying ‘work in sales’ (every creative person’s unfortunate term), Casey is very much aware that those wonderful times in music are finished and he has reached his best efforts in matters of being ambitious. While Dandelion has toiled in the fills with the crew and gradually orchid sprout’s attentive glances amid passionate kisses and tinged and tunes filled with music induced satisfaction.
And so commences a quest filled with stable walks in the region, musical friendship, followed lastly for Dandelion, feeling completely in her music.
Riegel manages to avoid several gimmicks and most of the film’s impact comes from the characters as opposed to with dialogues. While Casey and Dandelion create music together or independently, revelatory interaction happens through the sounds produced. In one such fireside vignette, the two partner up to compose a song. While the two argue in the process, the force with which Dandelion sings and literally lifts her voice increasing at alarming rates can be compared to a shout. Similarly, instances of affection are depicted in beautiful still images, all of the performers in extreme close up: arms flying, guitar strings flicked, throats strained against catchy rhythms and ecstasy in the eyes as the lyrical content of performance elevates.
It is the case that both Casey and Dandelion find themselves coveting the other at different stages of their respective careers. In particular Casey, wishes to be where Dandelion is, a blank canvas so to say with enormous scope and even scope for promoting growth. But Casey represents a musical culture and a glimmer of validation that Dandelion has been subbing in for and searching for forever.
Layne remains as affecting and vulnerable as she has ever been, while Doherty is full of trouble and passion, which makes Casey’s magnets extremely apparent.
Although Dandelion successfully showcases the characters’ internal progress, making the plot secondary, which is rather disappointing, it is at these times that they lose track of their main character. At some points of time Dandelion seems to be given a background and does not have much bearing on her own tale.
Thanks to the concentration and effort observed in the building of Dandelion over the film’s first two acts, even through Casey’s asides or the film’s insane rush to finish itself one feels that, that was been given up for less noble purposes. However, despite a somewhat weak ending, the buzzing warmth of Riegel’s direction and the contemplative quality of her writing allows one to experience a film about that transient and capricious type of love which compels development. A type that crystallizes the best songs.
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