Starring: Hayden Vaughn, August Medina
Director: Nicolas Merrias
Country: USA
Ash (Vaughn) and Max (Medina) are forced to confront the future of their relationship when the latter is accepted into graduate school on the opposite side of the country. Over the coming weeks, they have to decide whether to stay together or go their separate ways, all the while reflecting on their time together.
This is not the first time – nor the last – that a film has been made about the end of a relationship. The universality of relationship trauma is indeed recognisable enough for everyone to understand, but any really good movie on this topic – Marriage Story, Blue Valentine, Closer, even Kill Bill! – makes us care because while the theme is entirely ordinary, the execution is the opposite. But not in the case of Nothing But Flowers.
This is a film that does nothing, says nothing and goes about it in the most unimaginative way possible. Its script is a series of duologues tacked together, with the character half-bickering, half-staring into the middle-distance. There’s lots of mournful music and poignant wan smiles and sure, this is a successful depiction of a relationship breakdown, but that doesn’t answer the question of why we should care.
Neither Ash nor Max are particularly likeable, charismatic or interesting, while their situation isn’t extraordinary, compelling or unique. Subsequently, it feels like having a long conversation with an acquaintance that you barely know for ninety minutes while they overshare their dirty laundry. Isn’t that fun?
UK Release: Out now to watch on VOD on Dekkoo, released by TLA Releasing