If you know your graphic novels -- go ahead, call them comics for snobs -- you know Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" is one of the best reads of the last decade. Even the sequel was well done. Both are personal histories, telling of Satrapi's life under the mullahs of the Iranian revolution and her experiences in Europe after escaping. They're smart, feeling, witty, and drawn with appealingly dry black-and-white bluntness. If you haven't read them, go do so now.
Anyway, the news that the animated film version of "Persepolis" has actually turned out to be pretty good is heartening. They loved it in Cannes, in part because Catherine Deneuve, her daughter Chiara Mastroianni, and French film legend Danielle Darrieux provided the voices. Also because Satrapi herself co-wrote and co-directed the film, along with fellow comics artist Vincent Paronnaud. The film won the Jury Prize, pretty rare for an animated feature.
Great to hear, but when can we see it in the States? According to the Hollywood Reporter, by the end of this year -- but not with the original cast. Before you work yourself into a purist lather, remember that all the voices in any animated movie are dubbed, so it could work. Besides, Denueve will reprise her role as young Marjane's grandmother, this time in English, and Sean Penn and Iggy Pop have been signed on to play, respectively, the girl's father and uncle. Not your average Disney voice-over talent.
So it's a wait-and-see thing. Cross fingers they get someone good to play the lead (if you have suggestions, email me and I'll post them), and hope they include the original French version on the DVD.
Here's a link to the film's MySpace page. It's in French but impressively loopy, and it has some nice teaser clips.
