Fading Petals is a 2022 British drama written and directed by Bradley Charlton in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Melanie Revill and Charlotte Reidie. The plot follows a young woman who appears at a sickly older woman's home in order to assist her. Despite their misgivings, the two slowly open up to one another. However, their affinity is short lived when truths are revealed and matters spiral out of control.
| Fading Petals | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Film Poster | |
| Directed by | Bradley Charlton |
| Written by | Bradley Charlton |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Oliver Rigby |
| Music by | William Cunningham |
| Distributed by | Crazy Goose Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 94 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The film premiered at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford on 9 March 2022.[2] The film was also released on VOD the same day.[3]
Plot edit
Fading Petals sees a young woman (Charlotte Reidie) appear at a sickly older woman's home (Melanie Revill) in order to assist her. After a hostile first encounter and despite their misgivings, the two slowly open up to one another and form an unexpected bond. However, their affinity is short lived when harsh words are spoken and buried memories resurface. Matters then spiral out of control as the older woman struggles to accept the absence of the young woman.[1]
Cast edit
- Melanie Revill as The Older Woman
- Charlotte Reidie as The Younger Woman
- Tom Metcalf as The Young Man
- Gary Raymond as The Father
Production edit
The film was shot in October 2020, during the covid-19 pandemic. The shoot lasted just eleven days, the total production budget was under £10,000 and the crew consisted of only five people.[4][5]
Release edit
The film premiered theatrically in Oxford at the Ultimate Picture Palace on 9 March 2022. It was released on video on demand the same day.[4]
Reception edit
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80%. Fading Petals received praised for its central performances with Film Threat saying "when Reidie and Revill are on screen together, the film is truly alive", awarding the film 8/10 stars.[6] The UK Film Review stated "The atmosphere is downbeat and the dramatic revelations, confrontations and powerful performances make this movie an admirable achievement", awarding the film four stars out of five.[7] In his 3 out of 4 star review, Richard Propes wrote "Fading Petals is an indie drama for adults, a patiently paced film with a consistent yet far from monotonous tone".[8] Louisa Moore of Screen Zealots commended the writing saying "Charlton’s script has well-written dialogue and takes on substantial themes like regret and the demands that religion puts on women" and summarized the film as being a "slow but thoughtful piece of female-centered cinema".[9]
References edit
- ^ a b "Fading Petals". British Film Council. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Independent film 'Fading Petals' screens theatrically with red carpet premiere". Film-News.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Indie drama Fading Petals gets Apple TV+ release". Film Stories. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ a b "Bradley Charlton's British Drama FADING PETALS Available Now on Apple TV". Britflicks. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "UK-Ireland cinema release calendar: latest updates for 2022". Screen. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Fading Petals". Film Threat. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "Fading Petals Review". UK Film Review. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
- ^ "The Independent Critic - "Fading Petals" a Solid Indie Drama". theindependentcritic.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
- ^ Zealots, Screen (2022-05-12). ""Fading Petals"". Screen Zealots. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
