KiKi Layne Appreciated “Real Journey” Of Artists In ‘Dandelion’

KiKi Layne (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “The Old Guard”) delivers a resonant and lived in performance in “Dandelion,” playing a Cincinnati singer-songwriter who is struggling to make it. Written and directed by Nicole Riegel (“Holler”), “Dandelion” hits theaters nationwide July 12.

Performing at a local hotel bar simply won’t cut it for “Dandelion” (Layne), and she decides to leave her comfort zone and perform at a South Dakota motorcycle rally. Her adventure takes leads to a fateful meeting with Casey (Thomas Doherty), a talented guitarist who takes an immediate shine to Dandelion. Their bond leads to music collaborations, and suddenly Dandelion’s artistic world broadens.

Filmmaker Nicole Riegel does not offer a saccharine and predictable look at a struggling artist’s journey. Instead, the narrative offers up more realistic truths of the struggles of artistry. This even handed look at Dandelion’s gradual progression is one reason Layne signed on to the project. 

“That was definitely one of the things that that resonated with me,” said Layne, who started “Dandelion” after completing production on “The Old Guard.” “I think in a lot of films (centering) around artists and in particular singers, it kind of was like, okay, they start off, they’re nothing. And then they become like the biggest superstars on the planet. But for a lot of artists, that’s not the real journey. And I think there’s a lot of things on the inside and certain greater depths that this film explores around what are some of the things that we as artists truly wrestle with on a day to day basis. Like the things that keep us up at night. So that was definitely one of the things that drew me into wanting to tell this story.”

I’ll be reviewing and recommending “Dandelion” this week on CinemAddicts. It’s an indie film that avoids cliche and embraces a stark and possibly unforgiving reality.  

Co-star Thomas Doherty, whose work includes “Gossip Girl” and “The Invitation,” appreciated the chance to play a  “raw” and “vulnerable” character.

Catch “Dandelion” starting this Friday, July 12th only in theaters!

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