Persepolis
User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 93 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 93
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 93
  3. Negative: 7 out of 93

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  1. AndrewG
    Oct 9, 2009
    10
    God, this film was funny.
  2. JakeH.
    May 24, 2008
    10
    Absolute brilliance... Best animated film ever in FRENCH!!!!
  3. JuliaA.
    Feb 8, 2008
    9
    I watched this movie in Jakarta Film Festival,it was the opening movie and I could tell this has been a great opening for a movie fest. A more up-lifting mood of slightly noir humour, suavely told by honest storytelling way.
  4. JohnB.
    Apr 8, 2008
    10
    Persepolis is so full of ideas. It might not be groundbreaking in animation but there was a lot of creativity put into this. Of course, you can't help but get tied into the struggle of Marjame because we are shown such a realistic character. Marjame's interpretation of the world around her is put to the forefront instead of the political struggles in Iran. I would agree that it felt a bit like a series of diary entries but thankfully introspection is kept to a minimum and we are allowed to simply witness the events in her life more. It was a good mix between being on the outside looking in at Marjame's struggles and being on the inside looking out. The moral here is that no one when presented obstacles in life is perfect and there is nothing you can do to make things better. It may have been a typical coming of age story in some aspects but it was also this realization that no matter what, you can never truly identify with a world that can't really identify you. More likely, you will have to fabricate your own identity like Marjane had to. This is not one to miss. It couldn't have been better presented.… Expand
  5. Daisy&Kazumi
    Oct 14, 2008
    10
    Incredible! The words Marjane says in the last scene moved my heart and brought tears to our eyes. A definite 10/10. All Must Watch!
  6. MaeB.
    Nov 7, 2008
    10
    This film captivated me from start to finish with its simple yet striking animation that manages to convey the horrific and the emotional so beautifully.
  7. SayantanD
    Dec 14, 2008
    10
    A wonderful film with dark sardonic humor, poetic animation dwelling into human relationships. LOVED IT.
  8. CM.
    Jun 29, 2008
    10
    Everyone should see this film.
  9. SonyPictures
    Aug 7, 2008
    10
    Very good for the sexual content.
  10. SonaliP.
    Dec 30, 2007
    10
    I came away with a lump in my throat, and some in the audience were sniffling audibly. This film is amazing. I'm honestly quite bewildered at the cool tone of some of the critics (and agree Lane is way off base for once). The combination of artistic and emotional artistry was quite something. Especially good to watch this narrative of coming into political consciousness at this politicized moment in the U.S.… Expand
  11. RyanW
    Jan 11, 2008
    10
    An amazing animated memoir showing what it's like growing up in tumultuous Iran. Some of the best 2-D animation I've seen since Disney was alive.
  12. SamS.
    Jan 27, 2008
    10
    This movie is a must-see. It is superb entertainment as well as a realistic, mini-history lesson.
  13. ChadS.
    Feb 16, 2008
    10
    If 2-D animation is dead, then "Persepolis" is a dead man's party. While "Shrek" gorges himself on Bambi and all his forest critter friends, filmmakers like Satoshi Kon("Paprika", "Tokyo Godfathers") and Sylvain Chomet("Les Triplettes de Belleville") continue to work in the cel tradition. "Persepolis", however, could be said to have precious little, if any, of "Steamboat Willie[';s]" DNA. Like Jessica Yu's "In the Realms of the Unreal"(the 2004 documentary about outsider artist Henry Darger), "Persepolis" takes static imagery(in this case; the illustrations from a graphic novel, in the Yu film; Darger's paintings) and transforms them into a meditation on kinesics. The results are truly startling; Iran and France rendered in a phantasmagorical world of black and white. The intermittent use of color is used to differentiate the past from the present, but it's also a commentary on how Marjane's life in her homeland and adopted home covered the full breadth of experiences in both geographical instances. Don't readily assume that Marjane's life in Iran was all bad, and her move to France was all good; only our president sees things in terms of black and white. Our president, our country, in which "Persepolis" sneakily characterizes as being the devil, and the devil's lair. Marjane(voiced by Chiara Mastroianni) listens to Iron Maiden, a band from Sheffield, England that purportedly worships the devil(well, they did release an album entitled "The Number of the Beast"). In other words, Great Britian is in cahoots with the United States, or, "the devil", as we are known to our international neighbors.… Expand
  14. SoorenA.
    Feb 6, 2008
    10
    Great movie, lots to learn from this story.
  15. NickA.
    Mar 4, 2008
    10
    'Persepolis', a wonderfully visualized gem, manages a multitude of on-screen miracles, though its most accomplished feat is interfusing frivolous humor with a remarkably distressing, yet equally inspirational coming-of-age story. Based on director Marjane Satrapi
  16. MaryamB.
    Mar 8, 2008
    10
    Excellent movie containing the best plot, best animation, best content, and worth to see.
  17. JabezH.
    Jul 9, 2008
    10
    Amazing animation and moving story. An essential movie, best in a while. See it immediately.
  18. DannyM.
    Feb 27, 2008
    9
    The main issue with Persepolis is that it shows how things used to be in Iran, and then it shows how much it changed. The artwork is simplistic, but it's still damn good.
  19. GF
    Sep 15, 2008
    10
    This movie is about human dignity and family. At last we have a movie that critiques Islamic fundamentalism and does not shy away from criticizing an abhorrent Western nihilism and Capitalistic consumerism. Pope John Paul II is finally heard on the big screen.
  20. KevinL.
    Dec 26, 2007
    9
    This is an extremely sophisticated and subtle adult movie for all its black-and-white drawing. I think Anthonly Lane of the New Yorker is totally muddled and confuses aesthetic choices and ethical perspectives (but then he is writing for the New Yorker, where ethics is perceived as but one style choice that might fit nicely between ads for luxury goods -- his dismissive tone is so pompous).

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: David Ansen
    100
    It's not to be missed in any language. In a year that has given us such marvelous animated movies as "Ratatouille" and "Paprika," this vibrant, sly and moving personal odyssey takes pride of place.
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  2. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    70
    There is no denying the boldness of Persepolis, both in design and in moral complaint, but there must surely be moments, in Marjane’s life as in ours, that cry out for cross-hatching and the grown-up grayness of doubt.
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  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Lisa Nesselson
    90
    This autobiographical tour de force is completely accessible and art of a very high order.
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