Le Papillon (2002) - film review

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…

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

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This movie features exceptional acting (particularly by the little girl who is, in fact, a natural), good writing and does not degenerate to saccharine.  Unlike some family films, what occurs in the movie is not straight by the numbers, predictable and completely wrapped up in the end – a definite plus for me!

The story is about a cranky old butterfly collector who is pulled into (against his will) the world of a very lonely child. The script says she is nine years old, though she appears younger.  Usually, I hate child actors.   They often seem to "play the role of a kid" instead of behaving believably.  This child, though unusual, seems like a real child and her dialog was written by someone who has actually been around kids.  What a concept!

This movie is good for all ages.  Guys will also like it because although it is a sensitive film, it is not a tear-jerker or a chick flick – it’s just a nice film written about real people.  Hollywood would greatly benefit by learning from this movie’s example.

By the way, don’t turn off the film when the final credits start to roll.  Watch and listen - it’s an adorable way to end a wonderful film.
Madeleine (Australia)

An adorable film. Every bit is worth watching.  The dialogue is fantastic and although the theme is simple, it teaches us a lot about life.  The acting was brilliant.  Claire does have a lot of talent in her and Serrault played his part extremely powerfully.  The story unfolded well, and the music was very cute.
(Anon, India) 

A worth-watching movie. For me, it’s a great movie with a simple theme. A movie about the life we live. Claire is amazing and a great child. She is very cute and talented. Serrault acted perfectly, like the typical behaviour of an old man with the young child. The movie ends leaving a message that three words are very important in life: I love you... For everyone!! (Kaushik Chauhan (Adelaide, Australia)) 

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