Review – Persepolis

Usually I wince and prepare for a big face-full of Film Board of Canada anytime blockishly-animated characters start speaking French. But this was a pleasant surprise. For starters, it’s an actual French production, not a Canadian grant-funded tax dodge. But more than that, it’s the genuinely touching story of a woman growing up in Iran (and as an exile in Europe) in the late 70s and early 80s. The chunky animation doesn’t even come across as cheap; instead, it’s an artistic mirror of the style used in the minimalist comics that served as the basis for the movie. This is welcome proof that movies don’t have to be expensive and elaborate in order to be profound. Worth seeing