Adventure/romance about an English backpacker whose world falls apart when he meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl on an exotic Thai island.Adventure/romance about an English backpacker whose world falls apart when he meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl on an exotic Thai island.Adventure/romance about an English backpacker whose world falls apart when he meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl on an exotic Thai island.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination
- Em
- (as Napakpapha 'Mamee' Nakprasitte)
- Captain Mekong
- (as Thumnoon 'Manu' Intapirat)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Quotes
Adam: Show me where this is, please.
local: In a Thai, she points in the direction he has driven from.
Adam: Is it not this way?
local: She confirms that the village is back the way he came.
local: Another local reads out the address on the scrap of paper, adding to Adam's frustration.
Adam: Can anyone here, speak English?
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.
- james_newman-53409
- Nov 27, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Пеперудата
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1