Dandelionattempts to pluck heartstrings like the vintage Gold Top Les Paul standard featured as a symbol of fading dreams throughout the narrative. Themawkishly sentimentaltale of a dejected Cincinnati singer/songwriter, who unexpectedly finds a creative rebirth in a whirlwind romance, hasnoble artistic intentions but lingers for far too long. It’s also not helpful that several critical aspects of the film don’t mesh well with the director’s vision.Dandelion’scloying original music, awkward camera angles, and questionable chemistry between the good-looking leads sabotages an earnest portrayal of self-doubt. A leaner edit with catchier tunes and more concise storytelling would help the molasses-drip pacing.
A Struggling Musician Meets a Dashing Biker
Dandelion (KiKi Layne) takes the stage for her weekly gigs at a posh hotel bar. She straps on her treasured Gibson guitar and belts out a strained cover of the Gin Blossoms' “Hey Jealousy.” The guests rudely ignore her with loud conversation. She slumps in resignation at the bar after a terrible set. Brandy (Yvonne Palmer), her bestie and bartender, has a flyer for a band showcase in South Dakota during Bike Week. Dandelion scoffs at the thought. What’s she going to do around a bunch of drunk bikers in the middle of nowhere?
Dandelion returns home to care for her ailing mother. Jean (Melanie Nicholls-King) pulls no punches between coughs and her oxygen tubes. Theresa, her daughter’s real name, has to get a nine-to-five job. She’s wasting her time foolishly pursuing a music career. Years of trying has yielded no results. Theresa will end up a 40-year-old “troubador” with nothing to show for her efforts but poverty.
Dandelion makes a difficult choice the next day, but she’s further eviscerated by her mother. She races to her car and drives into the night sobbing. Dandelion goes to South Dakota out of pure desperation. She has nowhere else to go. The packed streets of roaring choppers, painted breasts, and leather-clad ruffians make her uneasy. She’s stunned when a crude heckler targets her. A futile chase leads to an unexpected savior. The dashing Casey (Thomas Doherty) comes to her rescue on his motorcycle. He’s also a musician. Would she be interested in a nearby jam session?
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A Sappy Whirlwind Romance
Writer/director Nicole Riegel (Holler) introduces Casey like a gallant knight from a Harlequin romance novel. What fair maiden in distress wouldn’t be instantly smitten by a lithe, ruggedly handsome Scotsman with wispy hair charging to save the day? She’ll definitely take him up on his musical offer. Dandelion turns to melted butter as Casey unleashes soulful vocals while strumming around a fire. There’s also no doubt she’ll accompany him to his camper bed to discuss music.
Dandelion’ssecond act heats up their relationship with long walks in nature, scenic bike rides, and shared songwriting under open skies. Casey is the balm to soothe what troubles Dandelion. He can make her songs better and satisfy an awakened libido. Casey embodies everything she ardently desires. But, drum roll please, Dandelion can’t help but feel the other shoe is about to drop. Her innate cynicism, much to his annoyance, refuses to accept such a perfect situation. Why can’t she just enjoy this glorious moment of sex and songs? What could possibly go wrong with a dude she literally just met the previous day?
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In Dandelion, a Star Is Not Born
Riegel’s visual approach to their romance treads sappy. She makes stylistic choices that give what should be genuine interactions an artificial feel. There’s an excessive use of crossfades, where scenes flow and dissolve into each other, facial close-ups, and camera shots with skewed perspectives. The goal is probably to bring the characters closer together by limiting the perceived space between them. Scenes of Casey singing with a narrow focus on his lips, eyes, and hair are essentially beauty worship. There’s very little actual character development between the two.
There’s also nothing upbeat about the soundtrack. Most of the original songs have weepy melodies and lyrics that weren’t appealing to this reviewer. They emote Dandelion’s mood but become tiresome.These musical scenes drag on for extended periods of time.It’s like being stuck on a train listening to a street performer’s poetry with no escape. You want it to end, but it keeps going on and on. This problem is admittedly subjective and depends on personal taste. But it’s fair to assume that Dandelion and Casey’s tunes won’t be storming the charts.
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Dandelion’smost believable tenet is the sad fact of when to give up. Anyone who’s had dreams of artistic glory hits the brick wall of financial reality. Casey — and it takes half of the film before his name is clearly stated — is a salesman, not a rock star. His arguments with former bandmates about trying hard and failing is a conclusion most people reach. Dandelion, who’s on the verge of quitting, gets fuel to her fire through their chance encounter. Casey is all kinds of hunky inspiration. If only the film could have shown this with less meandering and better music.
Dandelionis a production of IFC Productions, Automatik Entertainment, and BondIt Media Capital, et al. It is currently in limited theatrical release from IFC Films.
