The Butterfly Tattoo (2009)

The Butterfly Tattoo is just another teen romance; nothing special to look out for. Chris is a smart 17 year old boy working at a summer job, when he meets the easy going Jenny. They seem like the perfect couple, but a series of flashbacks prove otherwise. The pair are both very shy and so the relationship develops slowly. Chris discovers his boss's underworld connections and the film takes a strange turn into a crime mystery. Meanwhile, Jenny is trying to put behind a previous boyfriend, Piers, who is determined to destroy her new found happiness with Chris. The actors are competent but I found the soundtrack annoying, and I was underwhelmed.

I'll keep it short.It's been a long time since I've been moved like that by a movie.Maybe because I identified a lot with Chris, but still the story is compelling, true to the heart. The relationship between Chris and Jenny doesn't seem fake, every time I was expecting a cliché it sidestepped a little. The ending may be obvious to some, but it's not what makes a good drama. Jessica Blake's a real treat, and I hope to see more of her in the future. I quite liked the director's work too. Lingering frames, gorgeous photography. A well recommended movie.

This movie was very well put together. The characters came across with sincerity, delivered very well by (what appear to be) new actors.I couldn't help but imagine this sort of story coming together, whether by terrible coincidence or by a nasty twist of fate - and it was truly a sad thing to envision.I found the pace to be as expected for this sort of film, with plenty of time to understand the characters, and a healthy dose of dialog-free scenes full of introspection and character growth. I also really enjoyed the fact that the director respected his audience and didn't spell things out for his viewers.Now, this is not a film I would recommend to most of my guy friends, as there is very little action and it is, after all, a love story - but I know the ladies would enjoy it thoroughly.

I enjoyed it. Certainly more than a great many studio films that made big bucks in the box office. Three out of five stars from me on Netflix (can't do fractions). I recall giving only two stars to some Oscar winners. Pros: The opening scene was beautiful, and the integration of the soundtrack was outstanding throughout. I loved, loved, loved the close-ups of the leading couple. They really tested the actors, who only rarely betrayed their inexperience. I'd buy stock in Jessica Blake if she were selling -- and not just because she's a pretty face. The costumes and design elements were excellent as well.Cons: The flashbacks. I don't know enough about movie-making to put my finger on anything in particular, but they just seemed like TV kitsch to me. I don't have a problem with using them as a plot device. I just didn't like the way these were shot/edited. They compare poorly with similar ones from another adaptation, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Mixed: The script. I'm not sure how faithful the screenplay was to the book because I haven't read it, but the dialogue was awkward sometimes (although the actors covered well for the most part) and the ending wasn't as inspired as the introduction. Show me humanity to close, not a landscape. This one reminded me of the ending to the theatrical cut of Blade Runner.