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Persepolis

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Persepolis

It's rare that we see stylistically original animated features like A Scanner Darkly, The Polar Express, and The Triplets of Belleville.
Next year, it appears that movie will be Persepolis, based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, about her childhood amid Iranian revolution, war, and oppression.

graphic novel:

http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/persepspread1.html

movie:


http://www.sonyclassics.com/persepolis/

It's rare that we see stylistically original animated features like A Scanner Darkly, The Polar Express, and The Triplets of Belleville.

I am all for Iranians making their voices heard, and I like the look of it. I am not really seeing something new and different though. I've seen this look before.

My question is I thought you hated Polar Express Harvey?

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

first reviews

Quite simply one of the best book adaptations and animated films to have come out of Europe in recent years.
Boyd van Hoeij
european-films.net

5/5
An animated autobiographical masterpiece about one Iranian woman's intense quest for the holy grail of freedom - one of the most imaginative and important films of the year.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

It's a movie that makes you glad to be alive.
Jim Emerson
RogerEbert.com

A-
A gem of an animated movie which subtly and comically jabs the Iranian regime while unfolding the spiritual journey of a woman from 1978 to the 1990's.
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

A boldly refreshing biopic that is a vivid awakening to the world out there, venturing beyond the usual personal preoccupations to embrace a multitude of militant political passions.
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio
[B]
A fresh, moving, out-of-the-gate masterpiece -- a work of animation that manages to be artistically brilliant, politically rich, morally engaging and emotionally overwhelming.[/B]
James Rocchi
Cinematical

A[B]
Here is that rare profoundly original film that will open floodgates. It also announces the brazen identity of a fiercely independent female voice in international cinema.[/B]
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
[B]
A funny, sometimes dark, always affecting story of surviving the worst through a sense of humor.[/B]
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
[B]
The filmmakers were right to believe that a live-action version of this story would have failed to achieve the universality Persepolis does.[/B]
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter

Any stragglers still unconvinced that animation can be an exciting medium for both adults and kids will run out of arguments in the face of Persepolis.
Lisa Nesselson
Variety

This is a sturdily poetic movie, rendering in black-and-white a world where nothing ever is.
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

3/4
The film has to simplify the story, but it allows more breadth to develop one lovely character particular, Satrapi's beautiful grandmother.
Globe and Mail

4/5
Beautifully animated, thoroughly engaging coming-of-age drama that is by turns moving, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud funny.
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/persepolis/

Oscar Nominations

nominations for Best Animated Feature of 2007:
[LIST]
[*]Persepolis
[*]Ratatouille
[*]Surf's Up[/LIST]Who will win?
Who should win?

The only one on that list I've seen was Ratatouille, and I thought it was a great film...

Persepolis has a lot of buzz, but I don't think there's a theater in Omaha that's playing it. Looks like a Netflix candidate...

I've talked to a couple of people who've seen Surf's Up, and they weren't impressed. In fact, one was so annoyed by the fart and poop jokes he took his kids and walked out of the theater. Of course, like I said, I haven't seen it, so I don't know what the real deal is...

I don't remember any fart and poop jokes in Surf's Up. If they're there, they must have been minor, and in passing (so to speak...)

Surf's Up is a good little movie; a bit predictable, and you can see the story beats coming from a mile away, but it's very entertaining.

Going to see Persepolis this weekend.

I think Ratatouille is the front runner, of course, but Surf's Up is a contender if only for the innovative use of the camera and the new technique Sony used. Haven't seen Persepolis so I can't comment there....

How about the short films? Goofy got snubbed!

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Z
Z's picture

Not a bad year. Sort of like in 2005 when all the nominees for best animated feature were actually good! (The Corpse Bride, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and Howl's Moving Castle)

Surf's Up was a lot of fun, and I was really surprised by how good it was. I haven't seen Persepolis, but from what I heard of it, it tried something new, and something new that actually worked. But I think Ratatouille was just so darn good that it should win. But, if one of the other two contestants win, I wouldn't have a major problem with that.

EDIT: Oh my. I have over 100 posts! And, I haven't been on this forum as long as most of the other regular users on here have been. I sure do post a lot. Maybe it's a sign that I should be doing more drawing/animating.

--Z

I've seen all 3 and I'll have to go with Persepolis. It's not the masterpiece I hoped it would be, but it should win for how much more meaningful and memorable it is than the penguin movie and the rat movie.

trailer

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809698229/video/5002714/

I'm hoping this will sweep up the Oscar, and send a message to these lazy Hollywood hacks that we want to see variety, originality, and daring in our animated features, similar to what we see in every other artform.

I saw "Persepolis" at the NY Film festival last month. It was amazing. By far one of the best movies of the whole festival in my opinion.

Z
Z's picture

Is it wrong that I'm still looking forward to Wall-E more? :P

But yeah, this film seems to have a very strong visual design. Usually, I find most indie-stuff that tries to look different from the traditional look ends up looking ugly. But, this looks really good. (visually, at least)

Can't wait to see it.

--Z

wow.

blown away

Is this the first animated feature to be based on autobiographical or accurate historical material?
I can't think of any others. :confused:

Just as Maus made people take comic books seriously, maybe this movie will make more people take animation seriously.

maybe.

any idea who produced the animation and where?

While not a full length feature, Drawn From Memory by Paul Fierlinger is a similar autobiographical tale of postwar Czechoslovakia and coming to America. You can find it here.

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Persepolis is a great book--I didn't know it was being made into a movie. Marjane Satrapi gave a reading at a college down the street from my house last week, but I was unfortunately unable to make it. She seems like an interesting woman, plus she's, um, gorgeous.