WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The agony of being a nerd. Growing up is difficult enough, but when you found yourself classified amongst the geeks, the rejects, the outcasts, life only exponentially become more harsh. However, might there yet be hope in midst of the sterotypes and shallow thinking of youth for the loser to rise above? Case in point–a young man boy named Seamus, daydreamer and dork extraordinaire, who’s about to embark on the greatest adventure of his newly approaching teen years with an unexpected bang, even if it means shaking up the status quo beyond anyone’s imagination and proving that sometimes, it’s simply best to just be who you are.
Next, my Mind:
Welcome to the land of massive insecurities, pent-up frustrations, cliques, ultimate crushes, bullies, queen bees, and rooting for the underdog, all of which take prime time to be explored in this 14-minute short film effort from director/executive producer Luke Morgan, writer Seamus Scanlon (based on his short story), producer Yvette Picque, and executive producer Jake Morgan, shown as part of this year’s Berlin Revolution Film Festival. From the very start to its rousing finale that will have you cheering and laughing in dweeb-immersed victory, the narrative follows one young boy’s arduous journey to overcome the prototypical obstacles beleaguering his childhood, familial or otherwise, and defy every possible odd to seize the day and take a stand for nerddom everywhere.
What I love about this is not just its overtly whimsical, totally hysterical, intentionally fantastical, overexaggerated concepts illustrated to such effective and impactful degrees. More importantly, it is the kind of tale that simply never grows old, nor should it. How many of us can actually be willing to admit the sheer terror we felt during these formative years should we also have found ourselves in this same general scenario, paralyzed by low self-esteem, and buying into the notion we were worth nothing, allowing others to step all over us instead of just being stronger than we considered we could? It’s an utterly accessible, relatable joy ride here, and that’s why indie film soars so much for this critic.
As mentioned above, it’s the beautifully written dialogue and how it’s then executed visually and through the acting that makes this such a gem to watch, causing much guffawing and appreciation for the darker humor often present, with pacing that keeps you engaged from beginning to end with no effort whatsoever. You just pine to see how this all ends up for this hapless boy as everything seems to be truly falling apart around him. But, this is exactly what makes the film’s final act so wonderfully satisfying and inspired, even if you might have made certain determinations of how it would wrap up ahead of time, though I felt the film did a superb job at hiding its endgame.
Add to this the accompanying music that fits absolutely perfectly into the proceedings, always surfacing at the precise moment it needs to in order to place the purposed amount of emotional punch to a given moment, once again often making you laugh even more because of just HOW exact it intensifies what you witness. Also, the film doesn’t shy away from the bitter realities of its protagonist’s plights either, choosing to showcase a hard home life, lack of real support, and even the character’s own inner monologue that certainly doesn’t paint him as a very positive individual, more of a cynic who happens to pay attention to everything and forgets nothing. Even his trademark “weapon” becomes a fun little addendum to the tale, as the film’s title helps imply. But, please watch the film to further glean its signifigance.
While the actors were named in the film’s credits, it didn’t actually specify who played who, so I apologize in advance to the filmmakers for the general references to each I mention here. But, regardless, to say everyone involved did a fantastic job would be an understatement for me. The actor playing Seamus is a one hundred percent laugh riot in the role, from the look he presents, to his inner voice raging throughout, to his overall awkwardness, and supremely hesitant, doormat manner, it all folds together to bring us the underdog we root for from the start. Watching as he navigates the perils of his world while hatching a somewhat premeditated plan to find a triumph beyond his expectations is believable, wholeheartedly entertaining, and worthy of the sincere joy we get in watching him go for the gold. The actor is pure genius for me and alone made this film worth watching.
But, let’s not at all put aside equally memorable turns from the two boys playing the notorious Block Brothers, local bullies (wife-beaters and all!) who terrorize Seamus constantly and rule their realm with total authority, played so admirably by the boys you really just want to smack the characters as much as laugh at them in their cockiness. Then we have the young actress playing THE girl, Lucy Block, who is every girl’s “I wanna be like” and every boy’s “I wanna be seen with”, turning in a performance that heralds us back to these bygone school days when we boys had OUR “It girl”, here the object of Seamus’ dreams and desires. It’s a stich how the actress plays her with that prim, diva-esque sassiness.
Additional turns arrive from Orla McGovern who plays Mrs. Block, a character who looks like it’s trailer park time and treats everyone about that way, but seems indifferent at first when it comes to Seamus wanting her daughter. There is the actress playing Seamus’ mother, a real piece of work who shows zero appreciation for him and is played so well as such you really love to hate this woman. Appearances are also made by two boys playing the local rebel heroes, the Tinkers. So, in total, “The Butterfly Love Song” speaks to the nerd in us all, challenging us to defy those odds, prove yourself worthy, and just become an example of what it is to just BE YOURSELF, as that can yield far better results than most might even think, expect, or claim.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
That is a great analysis.
Thanks from all TBLS crew in Galway.
Best
Seamus