Review of Like Dandelion Dust (2009) by Brenda V — 11 Aug 2011

Wonderfully acted and brilliantly written. You know where most movies intending to be dramatic get you right up to some tense moment and then conveniently and squeamishly cut away and don't "burden" you with the real drama? Well, Like Dandelion Dust gets to that point often.

.. and then keeps going and it takes you into the thick, heavy and eviscerating moments of truly consequential life decisions. This is not a movie to watch casually. Neither is it something to watch if you just want to be "entertained".

It is a serious and flawless work of art that means to leave an impression upon the soul and the mind of the earnest viewer. It's movies like this that come and go without a whit of recognition from the Academy on their Big Night that lets you confirm your suspicion that the Oscars are completely full of crap and no longer have any credibility when it comes to recognizing real accomplishments from writers, directors and actors who work together to produce a powerful entry into the American film archive.

Drama to the Academy is The Blind Side or Crash which don't dare to actually make you squirm in your seat and experience some real emotions. They just give you ersatz "depth" and paint-by-numbers "poignancy".

Just enough to pretend that you saw something "real". With Like Dandelion Dust, you get your guts handed to you before you're shown the door and left to reassemble your insides according to the experience that has just been raked over your sensibilities.

And, if anybody wasn't already familiar with the outstanding and immensely talented Barry Pepper before watching this, then you're in for a treat of a performance.