Persepolis

i saw a preview* of Persepolis last night. it's lovely. like the graphic novel, it uses abstraction (a flat, nearly colorless style) to present difficult and complex material. (it's very true to the books; so much so that i think there's nothing gained from watching the film if you've read them.)

the film chronicles about twenty years in the life of a young Iranian woman - through revolution, war, exile, and homecoming. it's poignant and funny, and we see our heroine's flaws perhaps more often than we admire her. Marji's pretty annoying, actually, sometimes downright despicable. the events she's living through are so interesting that we are compelled to watch anyway. (i feel the same way about Scarlett O'Hara. YMMV.) i think the true heart of the film is Marji's salty grandmother, the recurring voice of reason and the source of the jasmine flower motif we see in the opening credits.

i think it deserves the recognition it's received. i'm pretty sure the existence of the Animated Feature Oscar is what knocked it out of the Best Foreign Language Film running (it was France's submission, chosen over The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). i don't know how to deal with this film and Ratatouille competing for an award. (it brings home to me the difficulty of the nominating process in general. if i think these films are apples and oranges...it all depends on how you interpret "achievement"...)



*of course, that's relative. it's been out since Cannes and played in NY and LA in 2007 to make the Oscars cut.

Persepolis

i saw a preview* of Persepolis last night. it's lovely. like the graphic novel, it uses abstraction (a flat, nearly colorless style) to present difficult and complex material. (it's very true to the books; so much so that i think there's nothing gained from watching the film if you've read them.)

the film chronicles about twenty years in the life of a young Iranian woman - through revolution, war, exile, and homecoming. it's poignant and funny, and we see our heroine's flaws perhaps more often than we admire her. Marji's pretty annoying, actually, sometimes downright despicable. the events she's living through are so interesting that we are compelled to watch anyway. (i feel the same way about Scarlett O'Hara. YMMV.) i think the true heart of the film is Marji's salty grandmother, the recurring voice of reason and the source of the jasmine flower motif we see in the opening credits.

i think it deserves the recognition it's received. i'm pretty sure the existence of the Animated Feature Oscar is what knocked it out of the Best Foreign Language Film running (it was France's submission, chosen over The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). i don't know how to deal with this film and Ratatouille competing for an award. (it brings home to me the difficulty of the nominating process in general. if i think these films are apples and oranges...it all depends on how you interpret "achievement"...)



*of course, that's relative. it's been out since Cannes and played in NY and LA in 2007 to make the Oscars cut.