La fille aux papillons

Sort of paint-by-numbers Hitchcock. But still, it probably comes closer to the style of the master than any other pretender with the exception of "Niagara".

Hitch always liked a story with some odd eccentricities to the plot. This story has a butterfly collector, a taxidermist, and some shady Chinese Liverpudlians.

But you can tell it's not Hitch easily enough. I believe it's the pacing, which never reaches a nail-biting pitch of intensity -- more like nail-drumming. I hope someone more astute than I will analyse precisely what marks this film as ultimately un-Hitchcock.

The film's ending is very abrupt and more than a little unsatisfying, with the loose ends being tied up in a slip knot.

An important element in many a great Hitchcock film is the pursuit sequence through imaginative locations. At least we are not disappointed in that respect. Besides Liverpool, our hero and heroine are hunted through night-time Newcastle which is made to resemble Vienna in an earlier Trevor Howard film, "The Third Man". Some of the best chase scenes take place among the hills, lakes, and waterfalls of the English Switzerland -- the Lake District, at that time in Cumberland (hence the name of the bus line) and Westmorland.

Our beautiful English Swiss Miss, Jean Simmons, seems to be more voluptuous here than she would be later in her career, but perhaps I'm mistaken.

The film's mysterious title refers to a variety of butterfly found in a meadow near the collector's house.

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This gave me the opportunity to see an England in the post war period and also explore what a Thriller genre did back then. I must say this was a rewarding watch.

A secret Service agent on the lose after his last assignment, picks up a country job to document Butterflies and lands up in a murder mystery with a sinister family and a damaged girl in tow. Has all the ingredients for a thrilling watch and the director does a good job of building up the suspense. Very satisfactory watch.

This is a film that has a lot going for it:

--a typically excellent, nuanced and three-dimensional performance from Trevor Howard as a forced-into retirement espionage agent encountering a surprising new adventure back home while at times revisiting aspects of his own past.

--Jean Simmons in her radiant younger days in a role of mystery, range and substance.

--a highly intelligent script that expects viewers to think and rewards their patience.

--stylishly and confidently directed, and photographed with great distinction by the later-legendary Geoffrey Unsworth.

--excellent use of locations, well-paced, filled with surprises.

Those who are comparing it to British Hitchcock are partially right, but it also has the erudite touch of a Sir Carol Reed about it. It's visually quite satisfying, naturalistically shot for the most part, but with well-thought-out process shots when necessary. This story eventually covers a lot of ground, and each new location and situation is shot with a real eye for the distinctive look or texture of where they are next. While the visual choices are rarely "flashy," there is a real sense of location and imagery. Outdoors and nature compete with urban or more claustrophobic settings, and all the myriad parts add up to a polished and satisfying whole. It starts a little slowly, but once the wheels begin to turn, it gradually takes you on quite a journey, narratively, emotionally and geographically. I found myself very invested in the main characters.

Another plus is the excellent score by Benjamin Frankel -- it hits its full marks not only in the dramatic or suspenseful passages, but also in some unusual and subtle piano music played by Simmons' character.

No complaints about this movie! It's a gem.

This is an average thriller with good performances all-round. Trevor Howard is excellent as an ex-spy, David Somers, taking a break to work on cataloguing butterflies in the Fentons' country house. There he meets their highly-strung niece, Sophie. The film plot in some ways resembles the plot of 'Gaslight' when we see her strict aunt Jess is intent on convincing Sophie that she is losing her memory.

When the police suspect Sophie of murder, she goes on the run with Somers. This gives us an excuse to take a trip around early 1950's Britain. Somers makes full use of the contacts he made during his previous spying experience.

After a short stay in Newcastle the couple travel on to the Lake District and we have an opportunity to indulge in the scenic beauty of Ullswater, Patterdale as well as the waterfall at Sourmilk Gill.

In contrast to the countryside scenes, the denouement takes place in Liverpool. There is a small final twist, but anyone watching carefully will notice that this twist had been hinted at some time beforehand. Nevertheless the film is enjoyable and doesn't put too many demands upon the viewer. 6/10.

A young woman (Jean Simmons) is convinced by her scheming and dangerous aunt (Sonia Dresdel) and uncle (Barry Jones) that she's losing her mind and in very delicate condition that requires their supervision which turns out to be more like manipulation, as they try to keep her as far away from outside human contact as possible. The only other person she sees is the estate caretaker, a lascivious character played by Maxwell Reed, whose caught the wayward eye of the middle-aged aunt. All of this, the aunt and the caretaker, the butterfly expert uncle who has a serious underside to him, and the susceptible niece in the middle, would have made for a darker and more sinister film. As it is, a frame-up for a murder sends Trevor Howard (a fired government secret service agent who took a job at the estate cataloging butterflies) and Simmons across the countryside escaping police, catching headlines of "Police Net Closing In" over her front page photo, hopping on buses, and winding up in Liverpool, where they meet some wonderfully cast characters, and finally face down the greedy and murderous aunt and uncle.