Gang Of Four No More

2007 was a great year for film. I didn’t go and see as many films as I did in 2006 but about 90% of the ones that I DID see were excellent. There was bawdy comedy like “Knocked Up” and “Superbad”, there was thoughtful indie comedy like “Juno” and “The Darjeeling Limited”, there was even a rockin’ Korean monster movie in “The Host”. Back in January I picked four films as my key favorites of the year. And, in no particular order (‘cause no one film is truly greater than any one of the others) they are:

There Will Be Blood
No Country For Old Men
Grindhouse
Zodiac

Tonight I decided on the film that will turn my marvelous quartet into a mind-melting quintet.

Persepolis

I first saw this film back in February (though it came out in like December thus allowing it to qualify for both the Oscars AND my list). Immediately upon seeing it I knew it was a great film and rooted for it at the Oscars (where it lost to the immensely talented Brad Bird and those geniuses over at Pixar) but the thought of adding it to the list had simply never crossed my mind.

Tonight Becca and I went over to John and Melody’s to watch it on DVD. Since this was my second time seeing the film I was able to really step back and look at all of the individual elements and each is astonishing. The film is a perfect melding of style and story, the personal and the political. It shifts tones from funny to sad like a top of the line cinematic racecar.

If you have not yet seen this film please do. It is a masterpiece of the highest order and is also very relevant to what the Chinese would call these “interesting times” we are living through.

Mahalo.

PS: Check this out. To the truly hip this is old news but to me and possibly to you it’s new: (http://www.banksy.co.uk/films/movie5.html)