Le Papillon
2002 Comedy / Drama
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Credits
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Summary
Julien, a solitary widower, has one passion in his life: his butterfly collection.
One summer, he decides to make an excursion to the countryside to track down a butterfly
that has so far eluded him. He is surprised to find that Elsa, the nine-year daughter
of one of his neighbours, has stowed away in his car. Believing the girl’s
story that her mother will be away from home for several days, Julien decides to take
her with him on his quest…
Review
This rather clumsy and predictable dollop of Disney-style sentimentality would be quite
unbearable were it not for the engaging performances from its two lead actors. In
the declining years of a long and distinguished film career, Michel Serrault has settled
into playing grouchy old men with a tender inside, something which makes him perfect for
this film. Facing up to the talented Monsieur Serrault is the camera-hogging Claire
Bouanich, a winning child actor who doubtless has a bright acting future ahead of her.
Despite the heavily laden saccharine dialogue and implausible situations that make up
a messy and unconvincing plot, Serrault and Bouanich bring a touch of magic to our screens
and show that the gap between the generations is not as unbridgeable as we may think.
© James Travers 2005 Write a review for this film... |
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