LIFT

On Sunday 8th March, LIFT opted to show the film ‘Butterfly on a wheel’ also known as ‘Shattered’. Ray Bartolo and Katya Lautier prepared this post and wanted to share some views about the film itself.


The story in a nut shell:


Neil and Abby a couple having the perfect marriage. Enjoying all the perks that a successful corporate executive gets himself entitled to, Neil is on the brink of a huge promotion. For this purpose he was engaged on a travel trip. It all seemed that this couple had a worry-free life until their young daughter goes missing at the same time that they are hijacked by a strange gunman named Ryan who showed up and claimed that he has their daughter. Clearly masterminding the kidnapping, Ryan insists the couple perform various tasks for him in order to protect their child from any harm. Ryan starts to act madly and each time they perform a given task he asks them to do something else. The situation deteriorates over time and becomes a race against time to do his bidding, with tasks designed around humiliation, desperation and confronting one's fears
At some point in time, Ryan drove to the place where the travel trip should have happened and ordered Neil to kill the person inside. This is a very twisting scene where one understands why Ryan went to extremes and why did Abby looked as if she was collaborating with him. Neil was having an affair with Ryan’s wife, who happened to be his work colleague. Abby and Ryan teamed up to give a lesson to Neil and make him feel how difficult it is to know that you are being betrayed.

Some thoughts and remarks that make us think:

The name Butterfly on a wheel was first used by the British poet, Alexander Pope in a context meaning ‘someone puts a massive effort into achieving something minor’. Why did Ryan and Abba go through all this extreme when they could have easily left their partners, without endangering Neil’s life? Was it correct to pay back in that manner? Abba had aleady forgiven Neil for betraying her in the past. Why did she give Neil the second chance? How many chances shall you give when you are betrayed? Or one shall always forgive and forget in an attempt to save a relationship especially when there are kids?

Though there are no single-correct answers to the questions posed above, it may still be concluded that:

1. Wrong doings are likely to be discovered (in Maltese ‘Iz-Zejt jitla f’wicc l-ilma).

2. Sometimes, when you are sorry is too late.

3. Do not look for the things in life that are owned by others.

4. If we act dishonestly, sometimes the only options that are left to choose from all have a sour taste.

5. Once bitten twice shy


LIFT invites you to continue the discussion on this blog by sending comments to this post and share your views about the film itself and this activity.