This one doesn't fly

>> >> Butterfly gets stuck in sentimentality

by MARK SLUTSKY

There will probably always be coming-of-age films set in sleepy villages in southern Europe. The picturesque surroundings, the colourful local characters and the innocent worldview of the young will probably be a perpetual temptation to filmmakers. But if these movies must exist, they've got to be a little more interesting and a little more inventive than JoséLuis Cuerda's Butterfly.

Set in northwestern Spain in 1936 on the eve of the Spanish Civil War, Butterfly is certainly watchable, but its surrender to cheap sentimentality and lacklustre direction ultimately leave it annoyingly mediocre. Essentially, Butterfly is the story of the relationship between Moncho, a sensitive little boy (newcomer Manuel Lozano), and his progressive-minded teacher, Don Gregorio (Fernando Fernan Gomez). The two develop a special bond, with Gomez, who is notorious in the town for being a Republican and an atheist, imparting his--you guessed it--special brand of homespun wisdom to the child as the imminent political upheavals take shape around them. When the Nationalists take over, their idyllic days of collecting butterflies in the countryside must end, with tragic results.

The relationship between the two leads, as corny as it is, is the highlight of Butterfly: Gomez is skilled and charismatic, and Lozano belongs to that rare class of child actors who don't induce nausea, as precocious as his character is. Their rapport is quite pleasant to watch, for the most part. The rest of the film, however, falls easy prey to Cinema Paradiso-like sentimentality and unconvincing charm--a rascally dog that interrupts a love affair, a boy who can magically play the saxophone when he sees his beloved. Even Gomez's character is basically that annoying period-piece stock character, the person who sees the disastrous events unfolding around him with an "enlightened" attitude that parallels our own.

What's missing is the sense of absurdity and genuine playfulness that permeates a film like Fellini's Amarcord, similar in many respects, with its mischievous youth and sense of the impending terror of Fascism. Butterfly simply relies on too many clichés, too much TV-friendly, bland cinematography to convey anything more interesting or insightful than the basic events of the plot. In the final act, the film does deliver a few surprises, but by that point it's far too late. Butterfly is just not creative or convincing enough to be the poignant film it obviously hopes to be. :

Butterfly opens Friday, June 23