Film: Certified Copy [Copie conforme]
Cast includes: Juliette Binoche (Caché), William Shimell (Hercules)
Writer/Director: Abbas Kiarostami (The Wind Will Carry Us)
Genre: Drama (2010) In French, Italian and English with subtitles
In brief: James Miller’s is in Tuscany to promote his latest book, Certified Copy. The topic is art… what’s considered original and what’s considered a copy… and what that all means. James poses many interesting questions, and the significance goes well beyond art. For example, about humans… "are we just DNA replicas of our ancestors?" Elle arrives late to the event and leaves early, but she writes down her address for James… hoping to meet him and get his autograph on a few copies of his book. “You like him,” her young son observes. Although Elle has a lovely shop selling art and antiquities, James has no interest in lingering there. They leave in Elle’s car. Since she’s driving, she chooses the destination… Lucignano. On the way, they continue the conversation about originals and copies… while giving us a wonderful view of the Tuscan countryside.
Lucignano’s a town that’s considered good luck for couples getting married. So it’s only natural that the waitress in a local café would mistake James and Elle for a married couple. When James steps outside to take a call, the waitress tells Elle that he looks like a good husband. Instead of correcting the misconception, Elle laments that James is only interested in himself. Indeed, there’s been an air of tension between the two since they met in her shop. Elle later tells James what happened and says she just played along with the misconception. “She obviously thinks we make a good couple,” he says. But do they?
If you have a problem with films that keep you guessing, this one won’t be for you. The only way to appreciate Certified Copy is to settle in and go along for the ride, even if you don’t know where it’s taking you. This is a very original and interesting film… not because of the plot, however. It’s interesting because of where it takes us, in terms of our perception of reality. Just when we think it’s going in one direction, it starts playing a tug-of-war with our impressions of what’s going on. And it does this very skillfully. The film feels a bit casual… even slow… in the beginning. But as we go along, we realize that most of those casual details are important in guiding our journey. If you go with friends, don’t be surprised if everyone comes out of the movie with a different impression… much like a Rorschach test. I’ve found that discussing it afterward is part of the enjoyment of this movie.
2 popped kernels
A skillful, interesting journey… more of a brainteaser than a story
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: A bit somber
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Unvarnished realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Deep
