Character actress Dale Dickey stars in the beautifully quaint A Love Song, in which she plays a lonely widow who reunites with her childhood sweetheart (Wes Studi) for a night. Written and directed by Max Walker-Silverman, his feature-length debut proves him to be a deft filmmaker.

Though a little too small in scale and simple for me to rave about, A Love Song is nonetheless an endearing, easy-to-like romantic drama that refuses to be like other romantic dramas. Dickey is fantastic, and Studi is solid too (though given much less to do). 

The side bits involving the little girl and her brothers, while amusing in the moment, seem utterly out of place. In hindsight, it almost feels as though Walker-Silverman felt he needed to fill time just to get to the eventual 81-minutes runtime.

A Love Song is a strong debut for Walker-Silverman and a great showcase for Dale Dickey, even if the film’s lasting power may be limited.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.