Charming and touching, witty and irreverent, "Persepolis" is not your typical teenage-girl coming-of-age flick.

It's what every "John Tucker Must Die" and "She's All That" should be. It's emotionally mature,

And (gasp)...it's animated.

Forget those preconceived notions that animation is for kids.

The film is based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel, and chronicles her ascent to adulthood amidst an oppressive Iranian patriarchy (though it's much less pseudo-intellectal than this sentence).

We follow young Marjane through adolescence, to France, where she gets an education both in school and on the streets, and returns to her homeland more liberated and educated than her peers and sees, after being in the "free world" how stifling her home country is to young women.

The film presents its material in such a fresh, witty, and self-mocking manner that it loses all pretense. Marjane becomes disenchanted, but is still very much a part of, her teenage world, and she is both enlightened and very much a dumb teenager.

The animation is terrific and sets such a fun tone that you almost forget the topic of discussion is Middle Eastern politics and adolescent behavior. And it's not afraid to mix sweet and salty: virtually every aspect of Iranian life is poked fun of, but there is still a sense of respect for their ways.

Ditto the silly Western culture that Marjane embraces, and Marjane's own growth.

"Persepolis" is passionate and perky, and paints a magnificent portrait of the growth of a young girl into womanhood amidst a politically unstable environment that pulls and pushes her in different directions.

It's a must see for everyone.