2007 animated memoirRating: 17/20
Plot: Free-thinking future prophet and kung-fu expert Marjane grows up in Iran during a revolution and a war. She watches family and friends suffer for beliefs, imprisoned and in some cases even killed. She's sent to Austria as a teenager, eventually transitioning from a detached outsider to a depressed homeless girl. Breasts arrive. She returns to her homeland and family but finds Iran has not become any easier, especially for a female, even though the war is over.
The first part of Persepolis manages to balance the innocence of childhood with the evils of the world in a way that nearly rivals Grave of the Fireflies. And like that movie, this one brought some tears. The story's at times a little loose and sketchy, but I guess that's how childhood memories work. Sketches of conversations, symbols and snippets. The heaviness of the narrative, both the personal and political, is made a little easier to swallow with some humorous moments. Even the stark black and white old school animation, mostly pretty bleak, has moments that'll bring smiles. And that animation is striking. I just love when an artist can take established forms and create something completely fresh and personal. A great creative use of the medium to paint some unforgettable imagery. Swallowing blacks, shifting shapes, violent tableaus. Graceful and moving. I did like that cute little Parisian mouse a lot, but it'd be hard for me to pick the best animated feature of 2007.
There's an animated mouse living in my hair:
I have not seen this yet but I'm guessing you are just overly sentimental, as usual. Actually, the reviews were great for this movie ( from reviewers who get paid ) and I'm hoping to see it this week.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing on 5 recommended movies that few have seen:
ReplyDelete1. The Lion in Winter
2. Talk Radio
3. M
4. The Gunfighter ( 1950 )
5. Paths of Glory
So a movie featuring midget amputees and paper mache Jesus beats out "Babe", "The Gunfighter" and "Midnight", huh? Even though Abbey appears to give everything a 20, maybe she should be doing the movie reviews. Please respond to this mocking so that I know these are being read and not just disappearing into the internet ether. By the way, I would not say "Spiderman 3" was a good movie, but it should at least break 10 on the Shane scole as a decent popcorn movie.
ReplyDeleteYes, 'Holy Mountain' is superior to those three films, even without the bonus points I give for midgets.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're wrong about 'Spidey 3'...it's not a decent popcorn movie. The action was senseless and dull. The dialogue was terrible. Nothing grabbed me and made me care. Those bad guys? They've already reached the bottom of the barrel after just two of those movies? Batman just must have had more enemies or something because a guy made out of sand (somebody needs to explain the science behind that one to me) and the freelance photographer who became the screeching guy after Spiderman's black outfit melted off him and dripped down on the photographer because the bell was ringing (what the hell?) looked more like he could have been one of many sidekicks to a bad guy with a lot more charisma. His death was also the lamest since Boba Fett's. When there was action, I wanted it to stop; when the soap opera started up again, I wanted the action to come back. When the action came back, I wanted somebody to hit me over the head with something and put me out of my misery. When Spiderman accepted the sand guy's apology? I had to get a towel and wipe syrup off the screen! I also don't like how Toby McSpiderman walks and dropped the movie an entire poitn because of that. Oh, and that montage in the middle where Peter Parker has turned all mean and is dancing around the city? What the hell? That's it in a nutshell, I think...this movie had more "What the hell?" moments than anything I've seen in a long time. I can't remember a greater dive in a franchise like this before. I haven't seen that new Star Wars cartoon, of course...Bad, bad movie. Predictable, trite, holey, awful. I stand by my original claim that 'Spiderman 3' is a big pile of superhero suck.
Why are you leaving all of your notes in the 'Persepolis' entry? Are you hiding from people?
Finally saw this. I liked the first half better ( I'll never be able to listen to "Eye of the Tiger" again ). The main character became a little too self-centered to keep her sympathetic and the anti-American bashing, while probably deserved, was a little grating ( sort of like it's OK to criticize your own family but you don't want to hear some camel jockey doing it ). I liked the animation and style, but it did drag a little. I give it a 13.
ReplyDeleteI love America-bashing! I don't actually remember there being a lot of that sort of thing in 'Persepolis' though.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to this comment, I'll be read by more people. I'm sure "I love America-bashing!" will get me on some sort of watch list.
I'll also add this re: "Eye of the Tiger"...this is definitely the best movie I've ever seen that uses that song.