Butterfly Tongues

Manages the rare feat of being both bleak and deeply rewarding.

May be a bit sentimental for some, but I found its patient examination of how the forces of optimism can be overwhelmed by a wave of cruelty to be both moving and wise.

The movies' time-honored old-man-and-boy theme has rarely been used to such great advantage.

Outside national borders, this naive vantage point is an entry into a country's history and culture, explaining without seeming patronizing.

The film's climax was only one of several moments that left me utterly verklempt, without ever knowing that my buttons were being pushed.

It's boilerplate Miramax: a sentimental import with lovingly photographed Euro locale.

In the end, Butterfly is an infuriating film because it's so very contrived, so annoyingly phony.