Butterfly Man

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.

Plus, there's a truly wonderful theme underneath the movie: the dangers of Colonialism and expansion, and the exploitation that such endeavors come with. I really liked this movie.

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 compassion.

There is little doubt that this is a very low budget film. It has that "shot on a home video camera from 1989" look, and everything--the directing, acting, editing, and so on--is a bit rough around the edges. You're either familiar or not familiar with this kind of "guerilla" film-making. If you're familiar with it, you know what to expect and know whether you should avoid Butterfly Man based on your opinion of those kinds of films, which have to be watched a bit differently than the high gloss stuff. If you're not familiar with it, don't initiate yourself with this film, because this is a pretty good one, and you don't want to waste the experience on trying to acclimate yourself to the style.

The first sign of success is that to a large extent Butterfly Man feels like a transparent home movie made by Adam (Stuart Laing). The film somewhat vacillates between a rough travelogue, almost ala "Globe Trekker" (which happens to be my favorite travel series of all time), and a more normal narrative. It's an iffy mixture that ends up working quite well here. It also affords a stronger immersion in Thailand as a foreign culture, which is very important to the plot.

Because the film begins more like a travelogue with a thin dramatic overlay, it's something of a surprise as it turns into a "hell-in-a-handbasket" film with a well-constructed thriller plot. Unfortunately, this is a case where a fat budget would have helped immensely, but writer/director Kaprice Kea and crew still do a more than decent job with the resources available. The ending is also notable for being very unusual, poetic and admirable. Fans of recent microbudget indies shouldn't miss this one and everyone else should check out five or six of the crappy recent micro-budget indies before coming back to some of the good ones like this film and Milk and Honey (2003).

Adam arrives in Bangkok with his girlfriend and they abruptly split- up over a minor disagreement, but the relationship's been on the slide for a while and when Adam finds his significant other in the guesthouse room next door with a dreadlocked sandal seller we know the honeymoon is truly over. Thailand has a habit of testing Western boy-girl-relationships and in this case the couple split in less than 24 hours.

The lovers split their separate ways and Adam heads to Ko Samui, determined to see out his holiday. Here he meets a character many of us know (and if we don't know one we might just be him) - the middle- aged boozy expat not above dalliance with indigenous females – Joey - played brilliantly in this case by Francis Magee. Joey convinces Adam to visit a massage joint where we're introduced to Em the beautiful masseuse who Adam falls for and thus begins the vortex, the downward spiral, the lies, the mistruths, the deceptions that often follow an East / West relationship. Em retains her typical Thai conservative streak, hoping perhaps Adam will hold out for marriage and the house in the village. Inpatient and frustrated Adam hooks up with Noi one of the many bargirls on the beach and has to confess to Em that he has suddenly metamorphosed into a straight up, genuine Butterfly Man – a lover who goes from lady to lady, taking a piece of pollen from each as he so does. But Lady Fate doesn't smile on those men who spread it about on the islands, things continue to spiral down for Adam his triangular love affair leading to him being drugged, and robbed and finally having to beg on the beach in a charming sequence of som nom na – serves' you right.

Our old friend Joey returns and offers Adam a chance to make some quick cash on the neighboring Ko Phangnan. After some indecision he makes it over to meet a character named No Name, a statuesque blond, played by Abigail Good who pedals a shady sideline.

Adam uncovers a human trafficking ring and rescues Em by stowing her away on a boat where she lies in his arms, having married him in a brief ceremony conducted by the charmingly Thai boat captain. Events unfold in a tragically entertaining fashion and this is all weaved together seamlessly as the final twist and turns lead Adam to Em's Isaan village where he is making a new life for himself in the real Thailand.

Overall a rewarding picture. The score by Stephen Bentley-Klein is worth mentioning along with the title track by Skye Edwards (formally of the band Morcheeba). Producer Tom Waller did a sterling job putting it all together and the cinematography was at times sublime. The acting from the foreign cast was impressive throughout and a few roles really shone. A film entitled Butterfly Man was bound to have the odd Thai / foreigner cliché, and was at times charmingly naïve, but that doesn't take anything away from the movie. This is in many ways a better, more honest movie than Danny Boyle's adaptation of The Beach and for those who first came to the Kingdom before the omnipresent mobile telephone, cyber stickers, and emjois Butterfly Man is a nostalgic treat full of personal memories and hidden rewards and it is well worth hunting down a copy or a download.

Again I noticed that votes on IMDb are not always representable. When you compare 'The Beach' the MTV kids vote higher because DiCaprio plays in it. I watched both movies in a short period, and this movie 'Butterfly Man' was a real good story! I liked it even more because there were no real famous actors in it, which made it more realistic. Nowadays you see george clooney in every movie, with beard - without, you get tired of the same faces in every movie. The cast & acting was great!!!! You really should hire or buy this one if you like real good movies, suspense is build up good, you can't easily predict what is going to happen. I'm not going to reveal the story, don't read the rest, just go for the movie, you won't regret. It's not as lame as the beach where DiCaprio stops a shark with his HAND :) that was a laugh! It's realistic, you see real Thai life, atmosphere, and the nice Budha statues and sunsets. One word : definitely recommended, 8/10. Beware of other movies with low votings due to mtv kids! They need famous actors, guns and violence. I need a good story,good acting and atmosphere, that is what movies are about. I wandered about 1 hour in the local videostore and chose this one. I think I'm becoming a movie-geek with all the bad movies coming out :)

Ignore the 1-star reviewers... these cretins weren't even watching closely enough to summarize the plot points correctly. True, those in search of a quick-fix nudity high will be disappointed, but this film captures a deep and transcendent sensuality that puts conventional love scenes to shame. The casting is magnificent, the dialog is smart and authentic, and the plot is rarely predictable and complemented by a steady stream of touching vignettes full of warm, genuine humanity. The major characters are authentically drawn, but each reveals a shift that will remind you that in the exotic world of "asymmetrical" tourism things are not always as they seem. If you have been to Thailand you will appreciate the palpable ambiance created by the dazzling cinematography and the lush score and sound design. Treat this movie like farang Joe's description of the Thai massage... (paraphrasing) "lie back and relax and for an hour and a half let the filmmaker pay your soul one of the biggest compliments it has ever received."