The Butterfly Tattoo (2009)

"Chris Marshall met the girl he was going to kill on a warm night in early June, when one of the colleges in Oxford was holding its summer ball." A chance meeting with Jenny at an Oxford ... See full summary »

Director:

Phil Hawkins

Writers:

Stephen Potts (screenplay), Philip Pullman (novel)

Stars:

Duncan Stuart, Jessica Blake, Aidan Magrath

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Duncan Stuart	...	Chris Marshall
Jessica Blake	...	Jenny
Aidan Magrath	...	Barry Miller
Christopher Dane	...	Inspector Fletcher
Dan Morgan	...	Piers Hawthorne
Shazadee Beghum	...	Maria
Peter Easterbrook	...	Ollie
Alvin Addo-Quaye	...	Derek
Richard Hollingworth	...	Dave
Debra Baker	...	Sue Miller
Claire Ford	...	Diane
Antony da Silva	...	Tommy Sanchez
Abigail Tarttelin	...	Fenella
Jonathan Higgs	...	Romeo
Simon Brandon	...	Mercutio (as Simon Nuckley)

Storyline

"Chris Marshall met the girl he was going to kill on a warm night in early June, when one of the colleges in Oxford was holding its summer ball." A chance meeting with Jenny at an Oxford party leaves seventeen-year-old Chris with hope for a summer romance - and no premonition of trouble. Busy with his job and soon in love with Jenny, whose cheerful surface belies the dark uncertainty of her past, Chris misses all the signs of danger. Before he knows it, he's caught in the sinister web of a criminal whose desire for revenge crushes those who stand in his way.

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Plot Keywords:

based on young adult novel | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

From the moment they fell in love, secrets from a hidden past would tear them apart

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was cast through open casting sessions in Manchester and Oxford, UK. Actors could submit their details through the official website before being asked to audition. The director and Philip Pullman both agreed they wanted new and unknown actors to play the lead roles "Chris" and "Jenny".

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Connections

References The Golden Compass (2007)

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Soundtracks

Dig a Deeper Hole
Written by Ally Craig
Performed by Ally Craig
Licensed courtesy of Ally Craig

User Reviews

A genuine, heart-wrenching story

This movie was very well put together. The characters came across with sincerity, delivered very well by (what appear to be) new actors.

I couldn't help but imagine this sort of story coming together, whether by terrible coincidence or by a nasty twist of fate - and it was truly a sad thing to envision.

I found the pace to be as expected for this sort of film, with plenty of time to understand the characters, and a healthy dose of dialog-free scenes full of introspection and character growth. I also really enjoyed the fact that the director respected his audience and didn't spell things out for his viewers.

Now, this is not a film I would recommend to most of my guy friends, as there is very little action and it is, after all, a love story - but I know the ladies would enjoy it thoroughly.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Philip Pullman's The Butterfly Tattoo

Filming Locations:

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

EUR250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dynamic Entertainment DEH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1