A Love Song Review – A Quiet, Compelling, Love Story

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:47

Written by Janet Walker

A Love Song, from Bleecker Street and Stage 6 Films, presents a story of love that last a lifetime, and no matter how we try to move on, it stays, lingers, and stops new beginnings.

The film opens on Campsite 7, a solitary camper, a single woman, Faye, played by Dale Dickey. While she is alone physically, the presence of her husband is still very real as she leaves room on the bed, and speaks to him in the morning, reminiscing over details of the life they enjoyed.

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Her existence, at this moment, is caught up in the anticipation of an old flame, Lito, played by Wes Studi, coming to visit. Each day, Postman Sam, played by John Way, stops by, mostly for a cup of coffee, as Faye has either lost touch or has lost the effort to maintain relationships with others in her life and her only correspondence has been from Lito.

A knock on the door startles her, and as she opens, causes laughter as a group of five cowhands, led by a young girl approaches her and explains that at one time they buried their father, right on this spot, when the view from here was good and since then the view has changed and they want to move him to a spot where he could rest in peace with a lovely view.

As she explains to them, she is expecting a friend and can not move, she makes a deal that she will leave this spot in a few weeks, and they can come back and move their father's remains.

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The next knock on the trailer door is from a couple, Jan, played by Michelle Wilson, and Marie, played by Benja K. Thomas, two women who found love later in life, and are deciding if they should marry. Love they have plenty of, marriage and the cement shoe commitment that it seems to invoke is challenging. They invite Faye over for dinner and for the few hours, we see a different side of her.

Life alone hasn't played its tricks on her yet, closing her down or creating a nearly agoraphobic mindset. With people she is vibrant and alive; with her memories she is somber. Even as she fills her time with the activities that she enjoyed or grew into enjoying through her years with her husband, we don't see her unique spirit until she shares her time with others.

When Lito finally arrives we see the two had, at one time, a bond that transcended the years. As he is also a widower, we hear the words spoken that she lives, as he explains it was really his wife that enjoyed camping so that's why he has all the gear, and it was really his wife that enjoyed all the things that he has kept up since her death.

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The strong pull of the memories makes moving forward, even though they each try, impossible, and the nomadic journey they are on, the lonesome trail, is still more comfortable than the possibility of navigating a new relationship, and all the nuances that go along with it. And still love, which is now a shackle, brings a premature ending to a hopeful new beginning.

A Love Song, a quiet story presents vignettes of love. Each of the small stories seem to interrupt Faye's tranquil existence, and present pictures of a love that lasts longer than a lifetime. The overarching theme lives out these small, punctuated moments.

Like the country music that has traditionally channeled the heartbreak and resilience of Americans in search of themselves and others, A Love Song weaves a lyrical and ultimately joyful refrain out of the transformative act of being alone and reminds us that love can nourish and mystify at any age.

Dale Dickey delivers an affecting, compelling, performance, and subtlety presents the deep investment in the possibility of a new love. Her clandestine hopefulness is touching. Paired with Wes Studi, who is charming in his awkwardness they navigate the maybe's cautiously unsure if love will let them move on.

A Love Song opens in exclusively in theaters July 29, 2022. See it.

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Country: USA.

Language: English.

Runtime: 81minutes.

Director: Max Walker-Silverman.

Producer: Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey, Max Walker-Silverman.

Executive Producer: Jack McAdoo, Jan McAdoo, James Benjamin Shannon, Bill Way.

Writer: Max Walker-Silverman.

Cast: Dale Dickey, Wes Studi, Michelle Wilson, Benja K. Thomas, John Way, Sam Engbring, Scout Engbring, Gregory Hope, Jesse Hope, Felipe Jorge, Nala.