80
Perfect holiday entertainment, albeit for those small fry who can read English subtitles.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
60
TV Guide Magazine by Angel Cohn
The film's heart is the relationship between Elsa and Julien, and stars Bouanich and Serrault have a lovely onscreen rapport that's truly endearing.
50
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
It's all very sweet and occasionally touching. More lasting shots of more beautiful butterflies would have added a lot, though.
60
L.A. Weekly by Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
If there's anyone to credit for The Butterfly's eventual triumph over the inherent fatuousness of the material, it's the great Serrault and his tiny leading lady, who matches her elder nearly line for line and look for look.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
An exceptionally satisfying film of much grace and beauty.
70
A solidly entertaining, cross-generational two-hander, The Butterfly strikes the right balance between humor and observational bite.
63
Adults expecting intellectual stimulation better skip this one. Not that the Philippe Muyl film is devoid of charm; it oozes it. The story is as predictable as a hot summer in South Florida.
60
Cutesy and slight, but it's also polished and well-lit, and Muyl makes a weeklong hike roll by pleasantly, reducing it to about 80 minutes of screen time.
70
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Its scrupulous, even-toned gentleness makes " The Butterfly suitable for children, while its clear-eyed intelligence and refusal to condescend should make it appealing to adults.
75
Sentimental and predictable? Sure, but The Butterfly is so well-meaning and the wide-eyed Bouanich is so sweet and lovable only a Scrooge would dare complain.