Dirt Road to Lafayette

A lovely portrait of grief, teenage feelings and gentle reflection on the differences that make beauty in this world

A gentle portrait of a tight grieving Scottish father with few words to express his feelings and his musical son on their trip to family in the south of the USA. Through music, Murdo, the son, finds new challenges and new hopes. The small intimate scale of the movie, backed by the strong lively music that runs through it, taps into many rich themes of family, culture and the importance of music.

A lovely little indie gem about a teenager's passage of discovery and his musical talent and conquering life's challenges whilst facing the adversity of his mother's death.

It's a tragic but also beutiful film and a very rewarding passage-of-rights for an upcoming young musician played by the excellent Neil Sutcliffe.

Neil himself is not just a professional actor but an all-round musician guy. He's got great talent and screen charisma with natural charm and grace.

His playing is astute for a such a young person. His development from a shy lad to a stage-gracing musician is great to watch.

The road is about him and his journey to his musical freedom. His dad doesn't quite fully comprehend that his son is growing-up but in the end he does and he gets his blessing.

Casting is great. It's real Americana, baby! It's even got a legitimate juke box joint in it where they play! It's very loyal to bluegrass and Americana music. It's a heritage piece about a young star who is about to become a seasoned touring pro.

The end is very warming and touching. It's a lovely film. It's no CGI nonsense or action stuff. It's just warm and fun and great to enjoy in the evening. Excellent work.

It's a bit of a stretch to find a young Scottish lad, shy and diffident, gingerly picking up an accordion he says he hasn't played for awhile then playing the bejaysus out of it. Bedazzled, local dyed in the wool Louisiana zydeco players offer him studio time and a place in a band. However, it's only a stretch. Other movies demand that you leave your brains in neutral in order to accept their alternative take on reality.

It's about grief and letting go. I find other offerings deal with these subjects better, and others worse. At least it doesn't browbeat you with demands on your emotions that are too shrill to work well.

Interesting to see that many reviewers on here were deeply affected by it, while films that I love leave others cold.

Don't expect a fast pace. Enjoy the music.

Though rich in culture and music, The Dirt Road to Lafayette should be a pensive stroll but it comes off more as a melancholic traipse. A lot of this is due to sluggish pacing, unnecessary side characters and an over-reliance on songs in place of character development.