My Itchy Fingers

Persepolis

Was looking for the toilet during my last trip in Hong Kong and after relieving myself, I got back my mood to look around the shopping centre. This interesting movie poster for a 2D animated film caught my attention like a magnet. Didn’t know what is it about, but the chinese title said, “Growing up in Iran” and it got numerous international film awards. That immediately got me curious and I told myself I must watch it if it comes to Singapore!

 
It’s hard to get 2D animation nowaday with the trend going for
heavily CG 3D ones. And to do it in black and white! Bravo!

Back home started to surf the net and knew that it will be screening in February here. At the same time, I also realised that it is an adaption from the grapic novel of the same name by Marjane Satrapi and that its cover is a very familiar one in major bookshops.

So during the weekend, finally watched the movie and yes! I’m going to give it two thumbs’ up! Dun believe? Watch the trailer here!

Persepolis is a biography of the author growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Clever, fearless and outspoken, the little Marjane challenged many “social guardians” and even loved punks. As she grows older, her unconventional behaviours caused her worrying parents to send her away alone to Austria for safety reasons at age 14. She has to endure discrimination and misunderstandings, before being accepted into the society but she found that she has never been really integrated fully. Her homesickness brought her back home to her family. However, she finds herself a stranger in her own land too. So at age 24, after a failed marriage, she made the tough decision to leave for France, optimistic about her future.

So this is roughly the synopsis of the movie adaption. The movie is tightly scripted and although the background revolves around a dark period of the country, it tried to balance up by not letting the mood of the movie be too solemn with witty lines here and there. The raw black and white feel suits the story well too, with the occasional sprinkle of colours outside Iran where the mood is less serious. Overall, a good movie and I will certainly like to read the graphic novel if I get hold of a copy!

Go see it yourself now!

P.S: Just realised that payment with some credit cards for movie tickets entitles you a discount! I paid $8 for a weekend ticket. You only pay $6 for weekdays ones!