Dale Miller is a pleasure to watch as well. While he doesn’t much look like your typical movie detective, he settles comfortably into his role and becomes completely believable. Unfortunately, this character only made it into a few scenes, so not as much of him is seen as may be preferred.
Following the above-mentioned scene, the pace of the film picks up significantly, and the unfolding action becomes almost captivating. Tori Ernspiker ends up giving a decent performance as a young girl in captivity; while her dialogue delivery needs some work, she played well off of Ray’s performance, all of which culminates in the exciting, yet perhaps slightly dramatic, climax.
Visually, the film is quite interesting, and several shots in particular stood out as being emotionally evocative: a creepy children’s mask; Amanda in the dirt covering her face with her hands; a young girl gently placing her hand upon her father’s.
The camera was continuously handheld with the intention of lending a voyeuristic quality to the tone of the film, and this was effective to a large degree. It may have been somewhat overused, however - certain scenes (such as the one in the kitchen) would have benefited from a still shot, if only to give us a respite from the constant motion and to lend greater effect to the scenes in which it is most necessary.
Though far from perfect, my reaction to “Nothing in the Flowers” is overall positive. While often-weak dialogue and occasionally poor acting left its mark on certain scenes, David Brewer manages to ultimately deliver compelling images, a suspenseful mood, and an enthralling narrative. It is a very worthwhile first effort, and I look forward to seeing what he presents in the future.
There is as yet no word on any future showings of this film, but I will be sure to let readers know when and where there is an opportunity to view it.
Image courtesy of David Brewer