BuzzFlash loved this animated, stark, gripping loosely biographical memoir of Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian-born graphic novelist now based in Paris (which is where the film ends).

Watch the trailer for "Persepolis" here.

Some may find the black and white minimalist animation dreary, but others -- such as us -- will find the approach gripping in the deft way that it uses figures, music, gestures, and shifting backgrounds to convey a complicated personality (Satrapi) and terrifying political history (Iran). In this case, simplicity is the key to understanding the main character's growth from childhood under the Shah to adulthood under the Mullahs. Anything more would have been overbearing.

"Persepolis" reveals much about Iran, but it is -- in its heart -- a personal story of an irrepressible young girl turned woman coping with a political world that constantly intrudes upon her life, even though she is not particularly a political person.

In many ways, this is one of the best films we have seen this year -- although we warn that others may find its "graphic novel" appearance too basic. It's a question of taste. But for us, "Persepolis" managed to be personal, political and allegoric all at the same time. It successfully encompassed "big themes" with a personal struggle without being dogmatic or didactic. In fact, it is filled with some wonderful characters, particularly Satrapi's wise and beloved grandmother.

We chose the French version with English subtitles over the dubbed English version because frankly the English version didn't work for us. This is a foreign film, and it was produced in France. Satrapi lives in Paris, and although 80% of it takes place in Iran, the thinking takes place in French.

In the extras section of the DVD, you get to meet and hear Satrapi talk about the making of "Persepolis," and that's a real treat because she is a total pistol. That may explain why a film so heavy with the tragedy of Iran's recent history can also have moments where the heroine keeps truckn' down a Tehran street to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger."

The film ends with an emphasis on the value of integrity. That is a word that has been so devalued over the years. But at the conclusion of "Persepolis," it seems like a tarnished coin that has just been cleaned and shined up like new.

And that's what you can say about "Persepolis"; it never loses its integrity as a personal and political tale. Like the best of stories, it establishes its credibility from the onset and doesn't betray the viewer with ideological digressions. It's stark, amusing, loving, ironic, modern, moving, informative, sad, and uplifting. That's a heavy load to carry, but it does it well, very well indeed.