FLOWER (2017)

 Directed by: Max Winkler Story by: Alex McAuley Written By: Max Winkler, Alex McAuley & Matt Spicer Cinematography: Carolina Costa Editor: Jeff Seiben & Sarah Beth Shapiro

Cast: Zoey Deutch, Joey Morgan, Kathryn Hahn, Tim Heidecker, Adam Scott, Dylan Gelula, Maya Eshat, Eric Edelstein

A sexually curious teen forms an unorthodox kinship with her mentally unstable stepbrother.

Though the story focuses on a teenage girl. This still reeks of a kind of romantic fantasy that throws in some quirks but then some hard-hitting subject matter and scenes, but then tries to get off on a certain crude charm and edge.

As we are supposed to follow the teen characters more and be compelled yet the fil keeps wanting to remind us though they are doing serious actions. They don’t know any better or think about the consequences they are just kids.

While the ending is sweet, it also feels more like wish fulfillment. Which goes against the whole vibe the film seems headed towards. Even with its quirky quality realism.

Especially when it asks you to believe that it ends up as a love story after all of a sudden between two characters you wouldn’t expect.

We never fully understand somewhat, what makes the main character work. Though she still comes off as a kind of fantasy. quirky, cute, with daddy issues, and overtly sexual as she likes giving oral sex and seems to constantly offer it. As even the first scene we see her in the middle of it. Yet dresses like a tomboy. She is a teenage manic pixie dream girl only here the protagonist. She is the main character who doesn’t know any better that she needs to be saved. She thinks she is the one who is helping.

Luckily she is played by Zoey Deutch who shines in the role and always feels believable. One of her first leading roles and she goes through it with flying colors as she stays believable. While being relatable and a comedic character of sorts.

Adam Scott provides great shades to his character where you find him charming and angry enough to believe he is an innocent man railroaded but at other times white devious looking enough to believe maybe he is guilty. So a nice guy bad boy charm. Who should know better than to be hanging around with a teenage girl after what he has been accused of. At first, he seems like a viable inappropriate love interest as they bond but a nice guy none the less, but at every turn, there is a question as his shifting behavior doesn’t help. 

The movie was filmed for half a million and filmed In 17 days. This is impressive in fact a return for writer/Director Max Winkler his first since 2010’s CEREMONY. His films are usually

Dramatic and fun comedically quirky with some artistic merit. As they are inventive only wish he made more of them. When not being a successful television director. Didn’t even know he had made it until the end credits.

The film is smart in having a vision and matching it with a laid back California vibe. Definitely a geek fantasy of sorts 

GRADE: B-