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A Pin for the Butterfly (1994)
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One of those oh-so-worthy movies that doesn't fuel one's hopes about the future of international contemporary Eastern European co-production, a political allegory with a tragic tale to tell, but with a director in Hannah Kodicek whose talent simply isn't up to the demands of her own screenplay. Despite the excellent use of Prague locations and superb photography from Ivan Slapeta, the film lets itself down by its confused structure and a particularly ill-chosen but hard-working British cast. Joan Plowright seems to have cornered the market in European matriarchs, yet here her passively benign character is severely underwritten, while Ian Bannen merely reprises Hope and Glory's Grandpa in a Slavonic setting. Most ill-at-ease, though, is Hugh Laurie's subversive uncle, while Imogen Stubbs as Zina at least enters into the spirit of the thing, delivering revolutionary poetry in a factory. Although the ending is poignant, the emphases throughout are misplaced, and dispersed in a welter of symbols and dream effects. Any sympathy felt for young Florence Hoath, through whose eyes events are tracked, is swiftly dissipated. Brave try; points for the attempt. TS
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Running time
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113mins
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Country of origin
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UK / Cz Rep
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Genre
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Political Drama
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Hannah Kodicek
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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