4 out of 5 stars
Dale Dickey (Hell or High Water) and Wes Studi (Hostiles) are two of the most talented character actors working today. Unfortunately, throughout their careers, they have been relegated to supporting roles. To see them given leading roles here in such a beautiful film like this one is a delight. That has to be one of the joys of independent films within this industry. These stories highlight long-overdue actors, giving them opportunities to deliver stripped-back, genuine, lived-in characters.
In, A Love Song, we follow the widowed Faye (Dickey) as she spends her days at Campsite 7 in rural Colorado. Here, she awaits the promised arrival of her childhood sweetheart Lito (Studi), who is also recently widowed. Having obviously been there for some time, Faye has settled into a routine of catching crayfish, and getting to know the mailman and neighbouring campers. All the while, she wonders if her long-lost love will ever visit.
Before Faye and Lito’s impending reconnection, we get to share in numerous warm moments that Faye has with other sojourners. There are the neighbours Jan (Michelle Wilson) and Marie (Benja K. Thomas) who are a same-sex couple debating whether to get married. Then we are introduced to polite cowboy brothers and their precocious younger sister who wish to exhume their buried father's body which lays under the campsite where Faye’s caravan is parked. The comedic beats, especially with these cowboys, provide much-needed levity amidst the pangs of loneliness and bittersweet heartbreak.
After all the anticipation, Lito arrives. Here, we are treated to some of the most human, bittersweet and heartfelt moments that an audience could be invited into. Faye has been through a lot in her life. Her introspective pauses, middle-distance stares and careful choice of words reflect her journey to this point. Lito is a mild-mannered, soft-hearted scene partner for his on-screen partner. The two beautifully regress to acting like shy teenagers who do not know how to vocalise their love for one another. There is a depth, a joy, a pain, to the love on display, but it is not an eternal one, but it is a treasured moment to share in.
This film is an ode to long-lost love and trying to rekindle past flames. Director/writer Max Walker-Silverman beautifully sketches the joys of companionship that soothe loneliness over mere lust so often mistaken for love. Walker-Silverman captures this warmth with the backdrop of beautiful rural Colorado and its orangey-brown earthy hues. A Love Story is not only an emotionally gorgeous film; it is a visually captivating movie with some phenomenal shots and clever camerawork.
This is an example of stripped-back, tender, genuine, unfussy filmmaking that this reviewer loves in independent films. Introspective cathartic character studies with gorgeous visuals, quirky characters and beautiful hearts on full display.
Reel Dialogue: A love that never dies
Faye struggles with being alone and longing for love and companionship. A sojourner struggling to navigate a lonely existence, we feel her pain and the depth to which she wants to love.
When we look around us, the world's view of true love is often empty. A love that is built more on lust, pleasure, immediate and amongst other things, gratification. Even when love is depicted as a deeper, more caring, compassionate bond, it is often filled with brokenness.
In comparison, God’s love is ultimate. It does not fail. It never breaks. And it was out of this great love that He sent His Son Jesus to die for those whom He loved and to be their companion in this life journey so that we may never be alone.
Be strong and courageous. Don’t fear or tremble before them, because the LORD your God will be the one who keeps on walking with you—He won’t leave you or abandon you. - Deuteronomy 31:6
