Customer Reviews

Butterfly Man [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I see five star reviews, and I see a one star review, and neither is really appropriate. Nor is the title, really. A butterfly man is one who goes from girl to girl, and the protagonist only strayed from his main girl once.

So, sure, it's set in Thailand, which is beautiful, and not surprising a traveler unaccustomed to local hospitality falls for a Thai lady who turns out to be in some serious trouble. If anything the movie packs too much in, and the latter half of the movie isn't that believable, and seemed to exist only to add the film makers two cents on human trafficking.

Bargirls in Thailand call men who flit girl-to-girl 'Butterflys'.
I was one for about 10 years. One of the best times of my life.

And this fine movie is very authentic as well as well-shot/
edited/directed/ written/cast and acted. Very professional.

The circumstances of scams or a variety of crimes which could happen when one-night stands turn into romances are familiar, but not inevitable. There is a phrase which captures your chance for happiness with a pretty young girl who tragically is driven to run through 3-10 'customers' a good night: "You can take the girl out of the bar, but you can't take the bar out of the girl." Best bet for newcomers is hang back and wait and see. Something the hero in this movie didn't do.

ButterflyMan gives surprising, even sophisticated insights into a Western man's mind as he's drawn to the flame. And equally good coverage to the sweetness and the vulnerability of the girl involved. It's a complex multi-level happening between boy and girl with aspects of mutual exploitation, hormone-driven 'love' versus loneliness, desperation and absolute wishful-thinking.

Amazon has many books on this subject and more regarding life in The Land of the Free ('Thai' means free). It's a great country with extraordinary sights to see. And equally-extraordinary things to do. I recommend ANYTHING Thai. Thailand's truly a life- changing place, people, experience, dream come true. Yes, visit Thailand; but maybe you'd better see this movie first . . .

This is one of the few movies shot in Thailand, with Thailand as a subject, that really shows any insight into the country (unlike The Beach, for example).

Considering this is a low-budget, it really doesn't look budget. The cinematography is superb and in fact it earned the Best Cinematography award in 2003's Slamdunk Film Festival (the truly indie alternative to the Sundance Fest, and also held in Park City, UT). The performances are also uniformly excellent. Here again, the Thai female lead, Mamee, earned Best Actress at Slamdunk.

Kaprice Kea directs with a sure hand and a lot of sympathy for daily Thai life. I hope we see more from this director soon.

I became interested in Thai Cinema when I started a relationship with someone from Thailand and I wanted to present myself with topics of conversation. This movie offers a story of how life can be difficult and tragic for one who only see's the lights and beauty of a different land's inhabitants, and the life decisions those inhabitants must make to support themselves and those they care for. While telling the story, It give you a chance to think about what would you do if you were in either of the situation portrayed by the stories characters..
This was a very insightful movie into the life of so many who have difficult life decisions to make in realizing a personal goal or dream..

Bargirls in Thailand call men who flit girl-to-girl 'Butterflys'.
I was one for about 10 years. One of the best times of my life.

And this fine movie is very authentic as well as well-shot/
edited/directed/ written/cast and acted. Very professional.

The circumstances of scams or a variety of crimes which could happen when one-night stands turn into romances are familiar, but not inevitable. There is a phrase which captures your chance for happiness with a pretty young girl who tragically is driven to run through 3-10 'customers' a good night: "You can take the girl out of the bar, but you can't take the bar out of the girl." Best bet for newcomers is hang back and wait and see. Something the hero in this movie didn't do.

ButterflyMan gives surprising, even sophisticated insights into a Western man's mind as he's drawn to the flame. And equally good coverage to the sweetness and the vulnerability of the girl involved. It's a complex multi-level happening between boy and girl with aspects of mutual exploitation, hormone-driven 'love' versus loneliness, desperation and absolute wishful-thinking.

Amazon has many books on this subject and more regarding life in The Land of the Free ('Thai' means free). It's a great country with extraordinary sights to see. And equally-extraordinary things to do. I recommend ANYTHING Thai. Thailand's truly a life- changing place, people, experience, dream come true. Yes, visit Thailand; but maybe you'd better see this movie first . . .

Butterfly Man is a touching and complex movie about the despair and hope of a British backpacker who finds a deeper sense of purpose in the colorful and beautiful world he experiences in Thailand. The visuals of this movie will make you feel that you are in an island paradise yourself, as they're filled with prelapserian visions of purity and sweetness. The two main characters, Adam and Em, acted expertly by Stuart Laing and Napakpapha "Mamee" Nakprasitte, share a passionate bond, one that will make you believe in the redemptive and soulful power of love.

The only redeeming quality of this film is the fact that the gorgeous scenery of Thailand is shown in full grandeur. The viewer can really get a feel for the country. However, the storyline and characters are weak, trite, and boring. The film uses the all too common theme of Western man's infatuation for a young Thai woman but tries to convince the audience that it's true love. It is an unbelievable story with an even more ludicrous ending.