MovieChat Forums > Butterfly Man (2002) Discussion > So Much Better Than 'The Beach'

So Much Better Than 'The Beach'

posted 20 years ago by easy-nyc
8 replies | jump to latest

I found this movie incredibly moving. And having been to Ko Samui, I feel it captured everything about that incredible place-- the beauty of the island, the fun nightlife, the friendly faces, and the sad stories behind it all.
I had seen "The Beach" when it came out, and it was a total disappointment. I recommend this movie to anyone who has been to Thailand and wants to recapture its spirit, and I also recommend it to anyone planning to go there.
An excellent film. And Napkpapha gives an amazing performance.

[–] pongpongu 20 years ago

just watch this film on thai television yesterday
it's tell the story of REAL thai life ..and i can't predict how the film will end
the starring is very good
it's a pity that this film can't be shown in the cinema in thai but it's sell on Dvd and VCD

à»ç¹˹ѧ·Õè´Õ µ͹áá¤ԴÇèҨТÒÂà«ç¡ÊìÍÂèҧà´ÕÂÇáµè¨ÃԧæäÁèãªèàÅÂ
º·à¢Õ¹ä´é´յÑé§áµèµ鹨¹¨º µ͹¨º¡稺Ẻ¤ҴäÁè¶֧àÅÂ àÊÕ´Ò¹ҧà͡äÁè¹èҵÒÂ ¹èҨÐãËéÊͧ¤¹ÍÂÙè´éÇ¡ѹ·ÕèàÁ×ͧä·ÂÁҡ¡ÇèÒ

[–] krasteva 20 years ago

I Totaly agree:

ҴÒèÃÃӾäÃմˡ¹ùÃËá·ӵÀ/ù¡´¿ÃÕ

[–] scott_thai 19 years ago

I saw this film in Thailand (Pattaya) at the cinema. How come you did not see where you are from?

I like the film. I lived in Thailand for 18 months. I experienced for myself most of the subjects in this movie.

[–] blutey 19 years ago

Here's a translation of what pongpongu (who's presumably Thai) wrote earlier in this thread in Thai. I've translated it for the sake of completeness, so a Thai perspective is given:

"A good film. At first I thought it would be all about sex, but it wasn't like that. The script is good from start to finish. The ending is unexpected - it's a pity the leading actress dies. I would have prefered it if they both went on to live in Thailand."

à»ç¹˹ѧ·Õè´Õ µ͹áá¤ԴÇèҨТÒÂà«ç¡ÊìÍÂèҧà´ÕÂÇáµè¨ÃԧæäÁèãªèàÅÂ
º·à¢Õ¹ä´é´յÑé§áµèµ鹨¹¨º µ͹¨º¡稺Ẻ¤ҴäÁè¶֧àÅÂ àÊÕ´Ò¹ҧà͡äÁè¹èҵÒÂ ¹èҨÐãËéÊͧ¤¹ÍÂÙè´éÇ¡ѹ·ÕèàÁ×ͧä·ÂÁҡ¡ÇèÒ

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] blutey 19 years ago

Nice story. Beautifully shot. The lead Thai actress who plays Em (Mamee Nakprasitte) is gorgeous to watch. Interesting to compare her to the whiney western girlfriend at the start of the film lol.
Found myself agreeing with a lot of what was posted here previously about this film.
Not quite sure why this film has scored some low votes here.
For people who have never been to Thailand, this film really does capture the laid-back, serene, magical atmosphere of the place. Thailand really is like this. For people who have been there, well-worth watching to bring back some memories of the place!
I saw The Beach a while back and was very disappointed. Unbelievable story with huge plot holes and very little focus on Thai people - they were sidelined in favour of the western characters.
Hope the director of Butterfly Man will make more films about Thailand in this style.

[–] wujou_mao1000 16 years ago

i saw the beach for the 1st time last week and thought it was going well till the forgotten island with the falang living tax free. then i heard about butterfly, read the reviews on here and amazon.co.uk and knew from the off it will be a great film. although fairly poor in the acting, its very true to thai culture rather than hollywood style.

when i watched it, it brought me happy memories of a time when i was there. almost as though i was Adam and i was watching a video of me. but i never got as far as getting hitched, i love Isan and off the beaten track

its true, this and the lesser known cambodian film, city of ghosts are both equal in both ways. for once america has shown the true way of life just as England has for Butterfly Man