The Oscars: A disappointing result (oh, really?)

No, I don't have a thing against No Country for Old Men or against the Cohen brothers. On the contrary. But Best Animated Feature to Ratatouille when Satrapi's Persepolis was in competition? Don't get me wrong: Ratatouille was fun. Cute. Entertaining. And then out of mind. Persepolis is a work that, at the very least, asks you to ask questions. And the animation style is a delight. One can, of course, feel some smug superiority over the self-serving, $-eyed Academy, and feel one knew better. I know I do, but shhhh, keep it secret.

If you haven't experienced Persepolis: (a) go get the graphic novel (and, if possible, read it too); and (b) watch the movie. Persepolis is really two novels with different angles (although you can now get them in one volume). While both books are autobiographical and, thus, about emotions embedded in historical circumstances, the first book, the more historical/political of the two, focuses on the fall of the Shah and the rise of the Islamic regime; the second book is a heart-breaking piece on alienation (and, if you've spent a prolonged puberty crossing cultural lines while trying to get a degree or two, it is very likely going to resonate).