Persepolis (2007, French/USA)

I can't remember the last time (or . . . ever?) I thought a book and a movie version of that book were of the same quality, but Persepolis is that rare project. While it elides some storylines and detail for the sake of run time, it's absolutely delightful to see Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel in animated form. The film retains the style of the book, allowing for wonderful sequences such as the story of the Shah's rise of power told with puppets or how the veiled women harassing teenage Marji writhe like snakes due to their all-encompassing veils. Watching the film, I kept remembering a bit from Noel Murray's A.V. Club wrap-up of Sundance 2008, in which he asked himself if the films on view needed to be made, needed to be seen, and will stand the test of time. Persepolis answers an absolute yes to all three questions.