KiKi Layne thrives as frustrated singer-songwriter in tricky film – Longmont Times-Call

Thomas Doherty’s Casey and KiKi Layne’s Dandelion form a musical and personal bond in “Dandelion.” (Courtesy of IFC Films)

Anyone who has tried to make their art – their greatest passion – their career will probably be able to identify with aspects of “Dandelion.”

While the title character of the largely charming and effective film is a young black woman who wants to succeed as a singer and songwriter, the film is primarily inspired by the experiences of screenwriter and director Nicole Riegel, who also wanted to succeed as a filmmaker.

She is most interested in what it is like to be a frustrated artist. Riegel says in her directorial statement: “I wanted to share what it feels like to go through my artistic process in a world that quietly tells me every day that my voice doesn’t matter. In a world and industry of male hero worship, men are mentors. Women are their muses. Men with strong visions are fickle writers. Women with strong visions are persistent nightmares. Men pick up guitars and movie cameras. Women inspire and are filmed.”

While Riegel is from tiny Jackson in southern Ohio and a graduate of Wright State near Dayton, Dandelion (KiKi Layne) lives in Cincinnati, where she earns a few bucks playing in a hotel bar three nights a week. She brings an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar and plays originals and covers like the Gin Blossoms’ “Hey Jealousy” to a small, ever-changing crowd that doesn’t seem to care. She tries to hide how daunting it all is, but her eyes tell the story.

Her scrolling through social media feeds makes her even sadder as fellow musicians are more successful than her and receive countless likes and loves on a daily basis. Dandelion has had to make sacrifices to care for her mother Jean (Melanie Nicholls-King), who lives with a lung disease that incurs high costs.

Dandelion’s turning point comes when she catches Jean smoking when she comes home earlier than expected. Dandelion sets off with her acoustic guitars disassembled in a desperate attempt to win a band competition at a Bike Week celebration in South Dakota – despite having previously told a bar employee that she could only enter the competition if she wanted to make music about drinking beer in her Silverado.

On stage, after a well-received performance, Dandelion bravely takes the mic, but is treated disrespectfully by the predominantly white, male audience – which is bad enough BEFORE a man steals her leather guitar case from the stage and runs off with it. She gives chase, but to no avail.

Her apparent white knight, Scottish singer-songwriter Casey (Thomas Doherty), brings her the case before she can flee the crime scene. He takes an immediate interest in her and eventually convinces her to stay with him.

She meets his musical friends and makes some music with them. In doing so, she seems to discover musical possibilities that she was previously unaware of.

Dandelion and Casey ride their bikes and write together, turning one of her songs into something stronger than a duet almost effortlessly and giving in to their mutual attraction sooner or later. She is alive in a way we have never seen before – passionate and creative.

But the obligatory bickering soon ensues, which is then reflected in their songwriting. The complete Fleetwood Mac-ization of their dynamics seems to take only hours.

You might think that “Dandelion” is a love story inspired by music and ultimately a kind of update of “Once” from 2007. But the casual moments are rather rare on Dandelion.

While the film is mostly a portrait of pain, it never feels overwhelming, thanks to Riegel’s confident direction, which is filled with countless beautiful details. (Her 2020 debut film, Holler, which also starred a young woman, was well received, so what we see here in her sophomore effort is not surprising.)

But perhaps even more credit for “Dandelion” goes to “If Beale Street Could Talk” star Layne, a Cincinnati native who also starred in “Native Son” and “The Old Guard.” In her hands, Dandelion is by turns tough and vulnerable, hateful and loving – a mix of relatable qualities that make her seem very real.

On the other hand, Doherty’s (“The Invitation,” “Gossip Girl”) performance is uneven as the underrated Casey, who vacillates between dramatically different personality traits. Still, he has good chemistry with Layne, which is paramount to the film’s success.

It’s difficult to end a film like “Dandelion,” which aims to offer more authenticity than feel-good. Without going into too much detail—except to say that the final moments might make you want to visit Cincinnati’s oh-so-cool-looking music club, Ghost Baby—the climax of “Dandelion” is beautiful, but also feels unearned.

While the film stumbles in other areas, overall it is a film that deserves to be seen – and heard – thanks to all the talented artists involved in its creation.

‘Dandelion’

Where: Theatre.

When: July 12.

Rated: R for sexuality/nudity and language.

Duration: 1 hour, 53 minutes.

Stars (out of four): 3.