Persepolis

2007 - 4.3/5

Plot: A
An autobiographical movie of Marjane Satrapi’s life growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Script: B
The screenplay was adapted from the book of the same name: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I didn’t think the dialogue was outstanding, but I enjoyed it.
Here are some quotes I like:

Marjane: I remember I led a peaceful, uneventful life as a little girl. I loved fries with ketchup, Bruce Lee was my hero, I wore Adidas sneakers and had two obsessions: Shaving my legs one day and being the last prophet of the galaxy

Hustler: Jicheal Mackson.

Marjane: Bullshit! Life isn't absurd! Some people give their lives for freedom. You think my uncle died for fun? Egotistical prick.

Mr. Satrapi: Never forget who you are and where you’re from.

Marjane: It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the *trill* of the fight.

Animation: A
The artwork was based on the graphic novel; I thought it was simple and original. The majority of the time (99%) it was in black and white.

Overall: A-
Aside from the butchering of Iranian names, I thought it was an accurate portrayal of *her life* in (and outside of) Iran in the 1970s and 1980s.

The movie was pretty much right out of the book, but a little less detailed.

My only dislike about the movie was that it should have been in Farsi with English subtitles rather than French with English subtitles (…at least an option for it).

Speaking of subtitles… I’ve seen the movie both in French w.e.s. and English w.e.s. – I would prefer to watch it in French only because I didn’t think the English subtitles were as well done as French.

If you don’t get a chance to see the movie, defiantly read the graphic novel!

127 Hours

2010 - 2.7/5

Considering this movie is based on true events, the concept of ‘spoilers’ is no longer valid.

Plot: B
Aron Ralston (James Franco) decides to go on a hike in an isolated canyon in Utah without telling anyone exactly where he’s going. While exploring, a boulder falls on his arm, which ends up trapping him. With little hope of being rescued, he resorts to extreme measures to free himself.

The “127 hours” of the title refers to the time of his uninterrupted experience, beginning with when he woke up that first morning in his truck until he passed out from the morphine in the hospital after being rescued, not just the time trapped by the boulder (Goofs section, IMDB).

Script: C
There was nothing about the script that made it amazing. It was able to hold up with the plot, but it never went beyond that.

Acting: B+
A cast was non-existent – this movie was all things Aron; everything and anything said or shown was about him. There was a lot of character build-up, which really didn’t add up to anything; overall, it came off kind of dull.
I think that Franco did a wonderful job as Aron, but he didn’t have much to work with (the script more than anything).

Cinematography: B+

Good camera-work and awesome shots/angles.
It did have good songs; the sound effects were good too.
The cut screens were okay at the beginning; I’m glad they didn’t continue throughout the entire movie.
Because the flashbacks and hallucinations were the only way to get out of the canyon setting once Aron got stuck, they became excessive. I do think they were done well, but they were somewhat irrelevant.

Overall: B
Boyle did a good job creating tension, but it wasn’t as gripping as I expected.
This movie was entertaining, but at the same time, I think I enjoyed the Dateline NBC episode a tad bit more!
Although I thought it was a good movie, it wasn’t great – it was a bit of a let down.

Something I read online that was worth noting (which I agree with):
Sometimes, when a film does phenomenally well – like Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ – the success somehow attaches to the directors next film, regardless of the critical reception, and our objectivity becomes distorted. It’s as though we see their next film with predetermined praise. I think that's what audiences the world over are doing with this film.