Butterfly Kiss

For the song, see Butterfly Kisses (song).
Butterfly Kiss
Directed by Michael Winterbottom
Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Starring Amanda Plummer
Saskia Reeves
Release dates
  • 1995 (1995)
Running time
88 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget £400,000

Butterfly Kiss is a 1995 British film, directed by Michael Winterbottom and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce. It stars Amanda Plummer and Saskia Reeves. It was also released under the alternative title Killer on the Road. The film was entered into the 45th Berlin International Film Festival.[1]

Plot

Set on the bleak motorways of Lancashire, Butterfly Kiss tells the story of Eunice (Plummer), a bisexual serial killer, and Miriam (Reeves), a naive, innocent and lonely young girl who falls under her spell.

Miriam runs away from home and meets Eunice, and soon becomes her lover and accomplice. At a truck stop, Eunice first offers the unwilling Miriam to a trucker for sex, then rescues her in mid-rape by murdering the driver. When the hitchhiking duo are picked up by another licentious man, Miriam returns to their motel room to find Eunice and their benefactor having rough sex in the shower. Mistaking the consensual sex for the rape from which Eunice earlier rescued her, Miriam returns the favor by beating their benefactor to death with the hand-held showerhead, to Eunice's delight. Eunice finally brings Miriam to the ocean, where she makes Miriam kill her.

Main cast

Actor Role
Amanda Plummer Eunice
Saskia Reeves Miriam
Kathy Jamieson Wendy
Des McAleer Eric McDermott
Lisa Riley Danielle
Freda Dowie Elsie
Paula Tilbrook Ella
Fine Time Fontayne Tony
Joanne Cook Angela
Elizabeth McGrath Waitress
Shirley Vaughan Waitress
Paul Bown Gary
Emily Aston Katie
Ricky Tomlinson Robert
Katy Murphy Judith
Adele Lawson Wife
Jeffrey Longmore Husband
Suzy Yannis Motel receptionist
Julie Walker Shop assistant

Reception

Film critic Roger Ebert, in a positive review, noted that the characters' names are shortened to 'Mi' and 'Eu' throughout the film, suggesting that they may represent "parts of a schizophrenic personality."[2]

Variety called it "An often breathtakingly original meld of road movie, lesbian love story, psychodrama and black comedy".[3]

Andrew Billen praised the brilliant dialogue in what he described as "a lesbian Thelma And Louise set on the M6" [4]

See also

References

  1. "Berlinale: 1995 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  2. Ebert, Roger (1996-08-09). "Butterfly Kiss". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  3. Elley, Derek (1995-02-16). "Butterfly Kiss". Variety. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
  4. The Billen Interview Andrew Billen meets Saskia Reeves, The Guardian, 6 August 1995

External links

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