Persepolis (2007)

If you haven't seen Persepolis (2007) yet, do it now! The animations are fun, and highly evocative. The story, the coming-of-age of a young Iranian girl who grows up in Iran and Wien, is political in the sense that it depicts oppression, political violence and loss of home. In short, Iranian history from the seventies onwards is captured. Here, "political" does not imply a lack of a personal dimension. Rather, the film takes you as far as you can get from a dry recapitulation of facts and political structures. I have had my doubts about film adaptations of comic books, but this movie truly convinced me that such projects are sometimes beautifully implemented. This is in fact one of the most symphathetic autobiographies I've ever seen: no trace of sentimentality or self-gratifying elevation of a Story. Perspepolis tells its story with impressionistic pictures and scenes, the result being neither confusing or shallow. I would rather say that the film conveys a sense of truth and humbleness; a story that I cared about as soon as the film started. It's also one of the funnies movies I've seen in a while. The pictures, the way they were drawn, express humour and a gentle irony that manages to keep things subtle and also sometimes complex. I found the sense of humour quite original. Mundane things like Bruce Lee and Iron Maiden were converted into something completely different. Terrible things like war were depicted in a humane way, disclosing both the horrible and the ridiculousness of it all. I wish there were more films like this one.