REVIEW -- Persepolis

The Director’s Choice this year was the animated feature “Persepolis.” It’s essentially a biopic that follows the life of Marjane Satrapi, a young Iranian girl born into a progressive family during tumultuous times in Iran (the fall of the Shah, the reign of the Ayatolla and the Iran - Iraq war). Marjane goes off to Germany as a teenager to study abroad, but finds trouble ingratiating herself with other more carefree teens because she cannot escape the guilt of being away while her family and friends suffer back in Iran.

“Persepolis” is actually an adaptation of Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name. Fortunately, the style of the film stays close to the aesthetic of the graphic novel. It’s very refreshing to see something that didn’t directly come from a 3-D computer animation program. The subject matter is obviously pretty heavy handed for an animated movie, and as other serio-animated movies like “Cool World” and “Heavy Metal” have shown us, these kinds of movies are hard to market. I personally like the fact that they are willing to take the risk to make a serious animated movie. And when I say they, I mean the French, and as we all know, those French people love to make “art.”

Oftentimes the pacing felt pretty slow, and I feel that has to do with the fact that American audiences usually associate animation with more plot-driven adventure tales rather than character-driven stories about relationships and historical tragedy. The most outwardly enjoyable scenes were the ones that used the animation to break reality, something that could never have been done as effectively in live action.

Writer/Directors Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud have combined comedy and tragedy into a nice little piece of nostalgia. The only part about the writing that did not seem necessary was the fact that the entire movie was essentially a flashback. The first scene is Marjane at the end of the story, and we only go back to the present a few times, but we never learn any new information. The movie ends with her at the present, but does not go on from there. So what’s the point of doing this, to give the narration a line of reasoning? I feel that these pointless transitions back into the “present” only break the rhythm that the other scenes have going for them.

So, don’t go see “Persepolis” expecting an animated movie. Go to the movie and expect a great little character-driven biopic that happens to use animation to a good effect.

By Evan Watkins
Staff Writer, District

REVIEW -- Grace is Gone

“Grace is Gone” is a charming little film that deals with the loss of a loved one and the inability to cope with it. John Cusack plays Stanly Phillips, a father of two, whose solider-wife is killed in the Iraq war. Out of an inability to tell his daughters about their mother’s death, Stanly decides to take them on a road trip to Enchanted Island (a thinly veiled version of Disney world), during which he painfully prolongs breaking the bad news.

Not only does writer/director James Strouse’s story hit on an emotional and topically prevalent level, but also his control of the acting is astounding. John Cusack is not playing his typical “John Cusack” character, which is the one that we know and love from “High Fidelity”, and “Grosse Point Blank.” In this film, he easily slides into the modern archetype of middle-aged dad. It’s not hard to believe that he’s a father from Minnesota, sporting the oversized glasses and windbreaker. In short, Cusack isn’t afraid to look ugly, and the movie benefits from that.

Despite the fact that neither looks like they could be related, two other great performances come out of the daughters, played by Gracie Bednarcz and Shelan O’Keffe. Strouse is able to create chemistry between father and daughters that truly allows their relationships to play out realistically on film. The youthful energy of Bendnarcz plays well against Cusack, who remains in an almost constant state of thoughtful paralysis, as he is unable to reveal the news of the death.

Technically, “Grace is Gone” was shot very appropriately. The camera was mostly static and invisible in its technique, which I feel benefits the film because so much of it hinges on focusing on the characters that we don’t need some radical crane move to emphasize the scene. In this movie, the camera is a visual reflection of the emotions of the characters. Cusack’s character is in a transformation that has built out of stasis. By not telling his daughters about their mothers’ deaths, he has in fact become closer and more perceptive to them.

The only part of the film that works against it is the fact that it is has the “independent stench” on it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love movies that are, truly independent, but I feel that some have artificially put on this “independent” feel so that they have more clout with the artistic crowd. It’s not a tangible element within the film; it’s just an overall sense that the filmmaker is attempting to pander to the Wes Ander son/David O. Russell audience instead of just telling the story organically and appropriately for the subject matter (which I feel is the true mark of an independent film maker).

All in all, “Grace is Gone” is an enjoyable cinematic experience. It is apparent that writer/director Strouse, and actor/producer Cusack are not afraid to take the risk of delving into a serious and somewhat touchy subject that uses modern issues as it’s jumping off point. As long as filmmakers are willing to take those risks, they will always warrant appreciation.

By Evan Watkins
Program Director, Network