Butterfly on a Wheel (2007)

Director:

Mike Barker

Writer (WGA):

William Morrissey (written by)

Release Date:

23 August 2007 (Israel)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Lives will be broken

Plot:

A perfect family's dynamic is ruined by a kidnapper's brutally efficient plot.

Plot Keywords:

Nanny | Sociopath | Kidnapper | Gun | Daughter

Cast

Pierce Brosnan	...	Tom Ryan
Maria Bello	...	Abby Randall
Gerard Butler	...	Neil Randall
Emma Karwandy	...	Sophie Randall
Claudette Mink	...	Judy Ryan
Desiree Zurowski	...	Helen Schriver
Nicholas Lea	...	Jerry Crane
Peter Keleghan	...	Karl Granger
Samantha Ferris	...	Diane
Malcolm Stewart	...	Dave Carver
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Det. McGill
Dustin Milligan	...	Matt Ryan
Julie Patzwald	...	Female Teller
Jason McKinnon	...	French Waiter
Kurt Evans	...	Maitre D'

Also Known As:

Shattered (Singapore: English title) (USA) (new title)
Desperate Hours (Europe: English title)
The Butterfly (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and violence.

Runtime:

95 min | Germany:98 min (European Film Market)

Country:

Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:R-13 | Taiwan:R-12 (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Butterfly Productions

Trivia:

"Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel" is a quotation - sometimes misquoted with "on" in place of "upon" - from Alexander Pope's "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot" of January 1735. The line has entered common use and has become associated with more recent figures.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Neil runs to the clock tower he's all sweaty - his shirt is all wet, then in the elevator he's neat and clean, then on the roof he's wet again.

Movie Connections:

Features "Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy" (1999)

Soundtrack:

I'll Take Care of You

The less you know of this film ... the more you will enjoy it!

Every now and then: the huge Hollywood-engine creates a small and simple film that turns out to be far superior than any gigantic blockbuster made that year. "Butterfly on a wheel" is such a film. It doesn't feature amazing explosions or overwhelming car chases or anything of that kind. It has marvelous actors playing colorful characters in a gripping storyline. These are only the very basic elements but this film uses them wisely. Unlike most thrillers however, this one doesn't take an awful lot of time to set the mood but moves at a high pace.

The split-second where this movie instantly changes from a soft-drama to a razor-sharp thriller is absolutely gorgeous ... it's a real shocker! And from that moment forth we have ourselves a nail-biting ride which'll keep you firmly on the edge of your seat until the very end. On top of that: this movie's great twist ending beautifully blurs the line between good and evil.

Pierce Brosnan has already proved to be much more than 007 and continues to do so here. Maria Bello became famous as the sexy waitress/dancer in "Coyote ugly" but over the years she became a fine actress. And Gerard Butler has fought side by side with Lara Croft and 300 of the bravest Greeks, but now this Scottish actor takes a break from this senseless violence and plays a more fragile role.

In short: "Butterfly on a wheel" is an intelligent cat-and-mouse-game that steadily becomes a first-rate thriller.