ANIMAI ION PERSEPOLIS (12A) 96min ooooo
Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical coming-of-age graphic novel Persepolis has been expertly adapted to screen by the author and graphic artist Vincent Paronnaud. The dubbed English language version features the voices of real-life mother and daughter Chiara Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve as the rebellious Iranian daughter and her mum.
The largely black-and-white 2-D animation replicates the style used in the graphic novel and is a pleasant cinematic surprise in an era dominated by CGI. Indeed, the recent Disney and Pixar announcement that in future their films will be made in 30 is a further death knell for this fine cinematic form. Here, without the intervention of 3D, the animation seems to pop out from the screen, most notably in a sequence that sees little Marji bop along to the Rocky theme ‘Eye of the Tiger’. The cartoon images make the story that starts in 705 Iran more accessible to contemporary Western audiences while also adding to the comic tone of the narrative. It’s unlikely that an actor would have been able to create the same feelings of affection for the central character as these pencil lines.
The brutal honesty and humour with which the story is told is admirable. The action starts in 1978 when Marji is eight. As the Islamic Revolution changes the face of Iran, Marji’s liberal outlook, including a love of punk music and boys, is at odds with the increasingly conservative edicts of the new government. As she gets into spots of bother, 14-year-old Marji is sent by her parents to live with a relative in Austria. Contrary to expectations these are the unhappiest days of her life as the teenager discovers boys and suffers feelings of alienation. It speaks volumes about the ideology of the film that 19805 Austria seems more foreign to European sensibilities than 805 Iran. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions but rather than wallow in self- pity, the picture always manages to find the comedy in even the darkest situations. Such is the entertainment value that it’s easy to overlook the political undertones and humanist message, Satrapi portrays a love of Iran without being revisionist or disguising any harsh truths about the regime. This is an exceptional and exceptionally moving piece of animated filmmaking. (Kaleem Aftab)
I Selected re/ease fro/r: / fr L’f) Apr.
48 THE LIST. -'- ' -- 7.3:.
COME IN THREE AND OUT (15) 106min 00
Heard the one about the surcrdal £30- somethrno lr'rshrnan lommy rColn‘. tvleaneyt and the l ondon tube drry'er and asprrrng; noyelrst Paul rlvtacken/re ()rooku. y'rho needs somebody to thr'oy': thernselyes under hrs trarn rn order to collect a generous pay off from hrs bosses’.2 that's the set -up of the Brrtrsh black comedy Three arrd Out. whrch uurckly turns rnto a road noyre, for lommy y'rants to spend hrs last '.‘.'eekend r‘econnectrng y'.'rt.h hrs estranged yarrfe l’tosemary -ln‘.e|da Staunton. and daughter l r‘ankre (lemma Artertonr up 'n the l ake l)rstr'rct. And Paul doesn't want to let the man who car‘ lrberate hurt from the urban drrnd out of hrs srglrt.
ffrcrently executed by lV drrector Jonathan (,‘rersl‘efreld. ‘.'.'or‘krnt; from Steye l ey‘.'rs and I my ()y'ren's scrrpt. Three and Oct pr'oyes an rntermrttently arnusrnt; affarr. Support:er characters such as the heay'rly accented European gourmet cannrbal «Antony Sherr are superfluous. and the frlrnrnaker‘s can't resrst the rmprobable romance bety‘xee'i Frankze and Paul to demonstrate the iatter's emotional ay'xakenrno. l'he frlrn rs actually at :ts rnost rnterestrno rn rts more reflectry'e moments, notably the ccnyer‘satroris bety'xeen lommy and l'losernary. rn .'.'l‘.rch thear‘ characters; explore tl‘err feelrnus of uurlt. sadness and regret. and rndeed It's Meaney and Staunton who pr'oy'e the prck of the cast. vlorn [)ayzsonr I (Ienera/ 'er’ease fro/r: / (’55 Apr.
FAMII Y /'\[)\/E Nltlly’l NIM’S ISLAND (U) 95min u
HOMANT ICE COME DY MADE OF HONOUR (12A) 101min on
Tom rformer teen heartthrob Patrrck Dempsey! rs a wealthy New York Crty' playboy. Hannah rtvlrchelle Monaghanr rs Tom's best frrend and the srngle constant female cornpanron rn the lrfe of a serral shagger. But when Hannah rs wooed rnto rnarrraoe by dashrng stranger Colrn rKey'rn McKrddr. lom realrses she's the grrl for hrm. So when Hannah asks her best pai to be her rnard of honour. l'om uses the rnrtrally' embarr; ssrng y'reddrng arrangement as an opportunrty to wrn back the low of hrs lrfe.
So far so predrctable a menaoe a trros-drryen rorn corn. When Hannah announces the nuptrals wrll be takrno place rn her france's home country. hoy'reyer. the frlrn takes a detour to Scotlaer for rts romantrc frnale. There. Tom and Hannah are along z'rrth the frlrn's audrence — subjected to all manner of cultural stereotyprng: krlts and castles. y'rhrsky and thrstles. rncornr)rehensrble accents and bagprpes. and even the Hrghland Games. \r‘y/hat proy'es the undoing; of strapprng. old moneyed Colrn McMurray rs not [rust Tom and Hannah's heartfelt but unreourted love but also hrs tradrtronal and barbarrc Scots ways. Groan.
Strll, lrkeable [)()Ft()."ll‘.£lll(l(}8 from Dempsey and Monaghan go some way rthough not ourte far enough: to rescurng; thrs Made of Honour. rlvlrles l-relderr I Gene/‘a/ release 77cm 2 r'yl’ay:
tJodre l oster trres y'arnly to kick start a career as a chrldr'ens entertazner rr‘. r\"rr7f's Isrand. a post modern adyer‘ture armed squarely at undemandznt; farnrly audrences. (Io drr‘ected by .Jennrfer l-lackett and Mark 1 c-y'rn, who made the
srrnrlar'ly grrly l'x’xrrr.‘fledorr and [ wife rt.[arr/rattan. and adapted from Wendy ()"r's hopular book. r‘y’rrrr's /s/.'rr.‘d cornbrr‘es elements farnrlrar' from Hofwrso" Crusoe
and Horrrarfcxrrr; the Stone.
Beclusrye author'ess Alexandra Ryder rl' osterr rs contacted y'ra erna;| by
‘.'.'rnsorne brat Nrrr‘ / ffr‘e r';ss 55..’r‘5;lfrr‘e moppet Abrdarl Bresirn .
y'.’tf()t;(} screr‘trst
father .Jack r(terry Butler» has done mrssrno from the troprcar .sland they share. r’\lexandra's fear of the outszde ‘.'.ror‘ld rs a major obstacle to any rescue. '>t.'. by
(i()ll]tltllltl up the Indrana .Jones style hero of her book Alex Byder. varso played by
Butler r. she oyercornes her agoraphobia whrle Nrrn uses Home A o"e styze t’tcks
to fend off an urty'.'eicorne y'rsrt tron: a cr‘urse shrp's p; ssengrers. Both Breslrn and Butler adapt ‘.'.‘e’r to the frothy feel of the p'oductron. but l oster's attempts at slapstrck are ernl>arrassrnuly crude ar‘d oby'ous.
lhe effc-cts of flyrnt; .r/ards and erupfrnt; yoicanoes are done tl‘ a .tenarn
Tack, yerye. ltut the moral about berrlt; the hero of your oy'.r‘ ad‘t.e.'rtur‘e r‘eeds a
bit mo -:: grayrty and a brt less (ilt)‘.'.'l"ltl to create any real emotional r'npact.
fl ddrt: l larr sch. I (it 'esease "ow /' .‘ '..'ay.