The movies' time-honored old-man-and-boy theme has rarely been used to such great advantage.
Butterfly(La lengua de las mariposas)
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Spain · 1999
Rated R · 1h 36m
Director José Luis Cuerda
Starring Fernando Fernán Gómez, Manuel Lozano, Uxía Blanco, Gonzalo Uriarte
Genre Drama
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
This coming-of-age historical drama centers on Moncho, a seven-year-old boy living in Western Spain in 1936. Against the backdrop of political turmoil, Moncho learns about the world from his inspiring teacher Don Gregorio and enjoys life in the village, until the looming Spanish Civil War threatens his happiness.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Baltimore Sun by Chris Kaltenbach
A movie of unforced nobility and quiet pleasures, Butterfly works on all sorts of levels.
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
Delicate, quietly devastating.
In the end, Butterfly is an infuriating film because it's so very contrived, so annoyingly phony.
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
A beautiful, harrowing film of understated power and perception that affords Fernando Fernán Gómez, the Spanish cinema's great, weathered veteran, yet another of his unforgettable performances.
Chicago Reader by Lisa Alspector
Some delicately interwoven and unresolved subplots help make the young character's rite of passage wholly, disturbingly compelling.
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Diverges to become something quite powerfully unnerving and guilt-ridden.
TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh
Though beautifully photographed, acted and written (the three source stories are skillfully blended into a single narrative), this leisurely, bittersweet look at a child's loss of innocence ends rather abruptly and inconclusively.
Austin Chronicle by Marjorie Baumgarten
It's a rare film that can make us look so deeply into the dark soul of the seemingly benign.
A savory cocktail with a bitter twist.
Users who liked this film also liked
Belle Époque
A sexy, lusty uninhibited comedy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, Portugal, France • 1992
- Director Fernando Trueba
- Cast Penélope Cruz, Jorge Sanz, Ariadna Gil, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Maribel Verdú, Miriam Díaz-Aroca
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on No streaming locations found.
November
(Noviembre)
Shut down the theaters, the performance has hit the streets!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2003
- Director Achero Mañas
- Cast Óscar Jaenada, Ingrid Rubio, Javier Ríos, Juan Díaz, Adriana Domínguez, Jordi Padrosa
- Genre Drama, Comedy, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing
(Amanece, que no es poco)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 1989
- Director José Luis Cuerda
- Cast José 'Saza' Sazatornil, Carmen de Lirio, Francisco Martínez, Ovidi Montllor, Carmen Rodríguez, Rafael Díaz
- Genre Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Close to Leo
(Tout contre Léo)
When are we old enough to know the truth?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2002
- Director Christophe Honoré
- Cast Yaniss Lespert, Pierre Mignard, Marie Bunel, Rodolphe Pauly, Jérémie Lippmann, Dominic Gould
- Genre Drama, Family
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The 13 Roses
(Las 13 rosas)
The true story of thirteen young women imprisoned under false charges of aiding the rebellion against Franco in 1940’s Spain.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, Italy • 2007
- Director Emilio Martínez Lázaro
- Cast Pilar López de Ayala, Verónica Sánchez, Gabriella Pession, Nadia de Santiago, Teresa Hurtado de Ory, Marta Etura
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
El Bola
Raised in a violent environment, El Bola discovers strength and friendship with the arrival of a new boy a school.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2000
- Director Achero Mañas
- Cast Juan José Ballesta, Pablo Galán, Manuel Morón, Alberto Jiménez, Ana Wagener, Nieve de Medina
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Before the Revolution
(Prima della rivoluzione)
Italy is the place where they've made an art of everything - especially love!
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1964
- Director Bernardo Bertolucci
- Cast Adriana Asti, Francesco Barilli, Allen Midgette, Morando Morandini, Cristina Pariset, Cecrope Barilli
- Genre Romance, Drama
- Available on Amazon Video
The Attack of the Giant Mousaka
(Η Επίθεση του Γιγαντιαίου Μουσακά)
- ✭ ✭
- Greece • 1999
- Director Panos H. Koutras
- Cast Giannis Angelakis, Christos Mantakas, Myriam Vourou, Ann Coleman, Yannis Kokiasmenos, Gregory Patrick Karr
- Genre Science Fiction, Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Lacombe, Lucien
(Lacombe Lucien)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy, West Germany • 1974
- Director Louis Malle
- Cast Pierre Blaise, Aurore Clément, Holger Löwenadler, Therese Giehse, Stéphane Bouy, Loumi Iacobesco
- Genre Drama, War, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
The Holy Innocents
(Los santos inocentes)
One of the best Spanish film
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 1984
- Director Mario Camus
- Cast Alfredo Landa, Terele Pávez, Belén Ballesteros, Juan Sachez, Susana Sánchez, Francisco Rabal
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Secrets of the Heart
(Secretos del corazón)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Portugal, Spain • 1997
- Director Montxo Armendáriz
- Cast Carmelo Gómez, Charo López, Sílvia Munt, Vicky Peña, Andoni Erburu, Álvaro Nagore
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Video
To Die in Madrid
(Mourir à Madrid)
It was a long time ago...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1963
- Director Frédéric Rossif
- Cast John Gielgud, Irene Worth, Suzanne Flon, Germaine Montero
- Genre Documentary
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Voyage to Nowhere
(El viaje a ninguna parte)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 1986
- Director Fernando Fernán Gómez
- Cast José Sacristán, Laura del Sol, Juan Diego, María Luisa Ponte, Gabino Diego, Nuria Gallardo
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
15 Years and One Day
(15 años y un día)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2013
- Director Gracia Querejeta
- Cast Maribel Verdú, Belén López, Tito Valverde, Arón Piper, Boris Cucalón, Susi Sánchez
- Genre Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Wondrous Boccaccio
(Maraviglioso Boccaccio)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 2015
- Director Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani
- Cast Lello Arena, Paola Cortellesi, Carolina Crescentini, Flavio Parenti, Vittoria Puccini, Michele Riondino
- Genre Comedy, History, Drama, Romance
- Available on Hoopla, Film Movement Plus, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling, Tubi TV, Freevee, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Piggy
(Cerdita)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain • 2018
- Director Carlota Pereda
- Cast Laura Galán, Paco Hidalgo, Elisabet Casanovas, Mireia Vilapuig, Sara Barroso, Jorge Elorza
- Genre Drama, Horror
- Available on Kanopy