Persepolis (2007)

The critic praises the film as a humane and heartfelt work executed with sublime skill, calling it a stunning example of the art form. They single out the originality, creativity and risk-taking that elevate animation beyond family entertainment.

Ebert praises the film as a deeply personal and stylish coming-of-age story about Marjane that stands out for its intelligence and emotional depth compared to typical animated fare. He highlights its careful, loving telling of her life amid political upheaval and personal growth.

The review praises the film's translation of the graphic novel's spirit into animation, noting its mix of political posters and whimsical cartoon style while capturing personal contradictions and the relativity of strife.

The critic lauds the clean, fluid hand-drawn animation and its ability to capture sentiments visually through multicultural influences and stylistic nods, calling it a marvelously emotive work rooted in brutal honesty.

The review highlights the film's distinctive soft black-and-white drawings and charcoal backgrounds as its standout feature. It describes the result as a delightful, curious film that blends the personal and political while providing a potted history of modern Iran.

The critic highlights the film's design and visual approach as a strength in adapting the graphic novel's personal and political story.

The critic finds the adaptation remarkably faithful to the graphic novels' spirit and look, with its episodic structure as the main drawback. They single out the vein of irony and self-deprecatory humour as one of its charms.

The review finds the film's politics more compelling than its art, noting the plain black-and-white animation fails to convey much individuality or vitality. It praises how animation makes the personal story universally relatable rather than exotic.

The critic praises the film's personal, autobiographical approach to complex Iranian history and politics through a child's eyes, noting its stark monochrome animation and emotional depth as a coming-of-age story that balances humor and tragedy.

The critic calls it an extraordinary, witty and ironic portrait of growing up amid historical upheaval, praising the two-dimensional animation for adding character and the film's accurate depiction of youthful resilience against repression.

The critic calls the film a gripping, witty and sympathetic adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels. He singles out its superbly elegant and simple black-and-white animation style for praise, noting how it faithfully reproduces the source material with bold strokes and witty expressions.

The review highlights the stark and beautiful animation in this coming-of-age story set against war and revolution in Iran, commending its focus on family and people over pure politics while blending humor and tragedy with a rare sense of real history.

Scott calls the film a simple story told by simple means that unfolds with grace, intelligence and charm, reminding viewers that animation is rooted in bringing images to life. He singles out its flat, stylized depiction of Tehran and Vienna that turns geography into poetry and its expression of the imagination's resistance to literal-minded power.

The critic calls the film a tender animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir that finds black humor in totalitarianism and renders the stark illustrations into rich black-and-white visuals. It is praised for its charismatic lead character and refusal to see anything in simple black-and-white terms.

The critic praises the film's rare aesthetic beauty in black-and-white animation and its sharp, pacy storytelling that blends personal memoir with political history. The review highlights the smart, self-deprecating protagonist-narrator and the bittersweet focus on loss and exile.

The critic celebrates the film's animation style matching the graphic novel and its balance of heartbreak, power, and sardonic humor in depicting a rebellious teen's life amid revolution and oppression. It singles out the relatable protagonist and the film's value in offering Western audiences an authentic, non-stereotypical view of Iranian experience.

The review calls the film wonderful, charming, funny, and heartbreaking, praising its unique coming-of-age story that explores tyranny, oppression, and universal themes of growing up female. It notes the Grand Jury Prize win at Cannes and recommends it highly despite a potentially hard sell.