Chicken With Plums

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A Jodorowskian tale brought to life on film in a very Jodorowskian way, but without the necessary carnivalesque flavour that makes Jodorwosky's films work so well (at least for me).

It was not exactly bad, but it falls short of the graphic novel, which worked amazingly.

Flamboyant and syrupy but hollow, "Poulet aux Prunes" miserably failed to make me sympathize with its protagonist, marvel at its CG flights of fancy, weep at its mush or laugh at its derpy humor. It's an annoying and tedious film. Whatever it is I loved about "Persepolis" just isn't here.

I liked the new form and technique of the film.

The film is awashed in beautiful surrealistic imagery, although it occasionally suffers from excessive visual flourishes that don't always come together cohesively. But the talented duo's considerable strength as storytellers mostly comes through in this emotionally moving and playfully humorous tale of love and loss, which also works elegantly as a larger metaphorical lament for Iran.

Flippant French fables set in 1950s Tehran, I'm all for, especially if they contain the Amelie-esque fairytale magical touches of Marjane Satrapi's creative imagination. However, this malformed monster of a movie stunk up the screen with its unlikeable lead, 95% episodic structure, and lack of proper narrative drive or purpose. The storytelling felt like the worst kind of freeform jazz - you don't know where it's going and watch in constant fear that it may be nowhere at all. Flippant? Floppant.

Although more lighthearted than "Persepolis", "Poulet Aux Prunes" is a wonderfully artistic, profound film in its own right. Paronnaud and Satrapi seem relieved to be now dealing with a less serious subject, however they do not fail to recognize the importance is as well has. Filled with wonderful images and music, this is a side-splitting but also very moving and ultimately human portrayal of relationships.

I understand the will to make Iran look like fantasmogoric land, but the Buton-ish way to magify the real did not really work for me.

Without overshadowing their much lauded effort "Persepolis", "CWP" is an equally humorous endeavor which effortlessly draws the eye into their trademark expressionistic visuals. I would argue that some scenes, though meant to be tongue-in-cheek (e.g. Americans scene) took the focus away from the central story but what lies in the latter stands out: an engaging love story and a commendable performance from Amalric. Definitely grew on me as it progressed, right up to its wonderful ending montage.