Day One Hundred and Forty-Four - The Story Of A Childhood

Today I went to the cinema and I saw Persepolis - and although the conditions were less than ideal [the theatre was beyond freezing being the main negative], it was a fascinating film. I had seen the writer/artist on The Colbert Report and had read a few reviews around the time of the Oscars, but I didn't know that much about it, though I'm a total sucker for a coming of age chick story told via graphic novel. If that's a genre, it's in my Top Five. In fact, it is how I would like to tell my own story, except that I have no artistic talent and I feel that cheapens things [also, I don't even need to say that this is a total hack move @ this point in cultural history].

A few points on Persepolis. I know nothing about Iran. I mean, I'm intelligent, I know what's going on [kinda]...but I know so little about certain histories/regions that it's quite shocking [I don't really think most people know more than me, so I'm not feeling extra stupid]. So, now I'm left with the desire just to type "Iran" into Wikipedia and see where that takes me. I'm simple. I guess others don't like Iran all that much as is evidenced by certain people's desire to bomb it and other people's desire to not give this film an Oscar [like I said, I'm simple].

On the Academy Award issue - Persepolis is only the second film to be nominated in this category with a PG-13 rating. Really. I feel like many people probably do feel that animated pictures are "G" and that those types of films are the ones that should be recognized. But when I think of animated films, I don't even really think of Disney/Pixar - it would be like when one thinks of "good" [Oscar-worthy, I mean] films as any sort of pap that appeals to the masses [I liked Starship Troopers as much as the next guy, but it shouldn't win Best Picture]. Does the story of a cartoon rat chef more deserving than the story of real people affected by war and revolution? I guess I can't judge [since I wasn't asked to by the Academy], but I do think that the animation was better and more magical in Persepolis. But again, I'm simple.