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Butterfly, The

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 11 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Drama | Foreign
Written by: Philippe Muyl
Directed by: Philippe Muyl
Release Date:
Theatrical: December 19, 2003
DVD: October 19, 2004
Running Time: 85 minutes, Color
Origin: France
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Michel Serrault, Claire Bouanich, Nade Dieu, Françoise Michaud, Hélène Hily, Pierre Poirot, Jacky Nercessian, and Jacques Bouanich
Eight-year-old Elsa (Bouanich) and her mom Isabelle (Dieu) move in next to Julien (Serrault), an ornery old entomologist with a lavish butterfly collection in his apartment. Her mother is hardly ever home, and Elsa soon grows attached to her neighbor. (First Run Features)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck
Perfect holiday entertainment, albeit for those small fry who can read English subtitles.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
An exceptionally satisfying film of much grace and beauty.
Read Full Review >New York Post V.A. Musetto
Sentimental and predictable? Sure, but The Butterfly is so well-meaning and the wide-eyed Bouanich is so sweet and lovable only a Scrooge would dare complain.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego
The film has a sweetness that stops short of sentimentality.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
Its scrupulous, even-toned gentleness makes " The Butterfly suitable for children, while its clear-eyed intelligence and refusal to condescend should make it appealing to adults.
Read Full Review >Variety Lisa Nesselson
A solidly entertaining, cross-generational two-hander, The Butterfly strikes the right balance between humor and observational bite.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Marta Barber
Adults expecting intellectual stimulation better skip this one. Not that the Philippe Muyl film is devoid of charm; it oozes it. The story is as predictable as a hot summer in South Florida.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
If there's anyone to credit for The Butterfly's eventual triumph over the inherent fatuousness of the material, it's the great Serrault and his tiny leading lady, who matches her elder nearly line for line and look for look.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray
Cutesy and slight, but it's also polished and well-lit, and Muyl makes a weeklong hike roll by pleasantly, reducing it to about 80 minutes of screen time.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Angel Cohn
The film's heart is the relationship between Elsa and Julien, and stars Bouanich and Serrault have a lovely onscreen rapport that's truly endearing.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
It's all very sweet and occasionally touching. More lasting shots of more beautiful butterflies would have added a lot, though.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
mary gave it a6:
The story has been told too many times already and told better by directors of Kolya and Central Station. Butterfly Tongue also was far more captivating.
Andy G. gave it a6:
Well acted, pretty cinematography, but clichéd story and too cute to be taken seriously.
