Persepolis (2007)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Directors:

Vincent Paronnaud
Marjane Satrapi

Writers:

Marjane Satrapi (comic)
Vincent Paronnaud (scenario)

Release Date:

27 June 2007 (France)

Genre:

Animation | Biography | Drama | War

Plot:

Poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic Revolution.

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | Iran | 1970s | Shah | Coming Of Age

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 15 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

Chiara Mastroianni	...	Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)
Catherine Deneuve	...	Mrs. Satrapi - Marjane's mother (voice)
Danielle Darrieux	...	Marjane's grandmother (voice)
Simon Abkarian	...	Mr. Satrapi - Marjane's father (voice)
Gabrielle Lopes Benites	...	Marjane as a child (voice)
François Jerosme	...	Uncle Anouche (voice)
Sophie Arthuys	...	(voice)
Jean-François Gallotte
Arié Elmaleh	...	(voice)
Mathias Mlekuz	...	(voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stéphane Foenkinos
Amethyste Frezignac	...	Marjane as a child (voice: English version)
Tilly Mandelbrot	...	Lali (voice)
Sean Penn	...	Mr. Satrapi - Marjane's father (voice: English version)
Iggy Pop	...	Uncle Anouche (voice: English version)
Gena Rowlands	...	Marjane's grandmother (voice: English version)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content.

Runtime:

96 min | Turkey:89 min (TV version)

Country:

France | USA

Language:

French | English | Persian | German

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | USA:PG-13 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:7 | Singapore:PG | Brazil:12 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:6 | Taiwan:R-12 | UK:12A (2008) | Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:12 | Australia:M

Company:

2.4.7. Films

Trivia:

Iran's government sent a letter to the French embassy in Tehran to protest against the movie and pressured the organizers of the 2007 Bangkok Film Festival to drop it from the lineup.

Goofs:

Continuity: When it is 1992, Marji marries. Her mother says her that she is just 21 years old. But in last minutes of movie, it is written 22.11.1969 as her date of birth. So when she got married, she is at least 23 years old.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Airport receptionist: Ticket and passport, please.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Marche Persanne

the book is a fuller experience

I rated this film a 9 more as a visual complement to the comic book (of two volumes, now bound as one), which I believe to be a masterpiece. If you left the film less than emotionally attached to the characters, PLEASE give the book a chance, because, as is often the case, episodes and histories of a lot of the characters, including Marjane, are left out to adapt the story to a film medium. Having said that, there are great sequences, expressionistic animation, and the wiseass grandma is left fully intact from the books! I can understand why some people weren't emotionally compelled by it though, since the movie doesn't take the time to fill the audience in on all the quirkiness and endearing qualities of the characters as Satrapi originally conceived them.