Certified Copy (Copie Conforme) (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tired of P

  
  Directed (and written) by Abbas Kiarostami, MK2 Productions, 2010. Starring: Juliette Binoche and William Shimell. Genre: Drama Question: Do you ever find it hard not to relate to or be affected by a film? I do, all the time. Some make me laugh and I will randomly giggle… More
  Directed (and written) by Abbas Kiarostami, MK2 Productions, 2010. Starring: Juliette Binoche and William Shimell. Genre: Drama Question: Do you ever find it hard not to relate to or be affected by a film? I do, all the time. Some make me laugh and I will randomly giggle when thinking about certain moments of the story. Some make me cry and I will shed a tear if I allow any memories in. And then some freak me out that I will have to sleep with the light on if recall any of the scary parts. Then there are the ones where you watch a couple of actors converse in what first appears nonsensical or of little importance, but a switch is flipped in your consciousness, and you soon realize that everything they are saying has a profound point. That is Certified Copy. Once the switch flipped for me, my heart just sank. This one ended up tossing me about that I know this one will be with me for the long haul. I was in the mood to watch a movie but a really good one. Fortunately, Netflix has categories based on what you have watched and then list others they feel you may enjoy. Under the "Critically-acclaimed" list I found Certified Copy. Actually I already had it in my instant play queue when I went looking a few days ago in the "New Arrivals" list, but my queue is REALLY long, and sometimes I find it difficult to decide what to watch and review next. However, Netflix had One Flew of the Cuckoo's Nest, Young Frankenstein, Reservoir Dogs and Apocalypse Now, 4 of my all time favorite movies, on the "Critically-acclaimed" list so I immediately hit play without knowing anything about it. Well, that's not entirely true. I knew Juliette Binoche starred in it and that it was a story about love and art. Plus it was set in Tuscany. I adore Italy, worship art and I wish I could be as alluring as Juliette Binoche. So I was content when I started the film, but I didn't stay that way long. The opening of Certified Copy started off with no music, views of people or even a panoramic shot of Italy. The camera focused on a large stone mantel with a table and a couple of microphones on it. Then all you hear are people talking slightly above a whisper. It was a little disconcerting as this went on for a few minutes. I was waiting for something - a person to pop into screen, the camera to move or a change of scenery. But nothing for a few more minutes. Finally, a person came into view speaking Italian (there were sub-titles) to announce that the writer is running late for the lecture. I relaxed again as the story moved forward. The writer finally arrived - a handsome middle-aged British man - and he begins to speak about his book, "Certified Copy", which is about reproductions of original pieces of art and his theory that all copies are just as authentic as the the original objects. He also claims the originals are also reproductions themselves. Soon a beautiful middle-aged woman walks into the lecture hall. She seems intrigued with the writer. No more detail - that is enough for now. The discussion of his theory is transported forward for nearly 30 more minutes when the two people meet up. At this point I was uncertain where the story was heading but it kept my interest. However, there was some strange or odd behavior by both parties that I couldn't quite figure out. The story went in and out of a foreign language: Italian or French - all with sub-titles but half of the movie was in English. For those who don't like subtitles this one wasn't bad - although I had to rewind a few moments to make sure I knew what they said. However, it wasn't so much for my slow reading ability but something I believe the film-maker was trying to "trick" us with. (So pay close attention.) Immediately trompe l'oeil or "trick of the eye" popped in my head when I finally realized what was going on in Certified Copy. Brilliant! Now you know I am not going to tell you any more about the story, but I will say Juliette Binoche was mesmerizing as her role of the middle-aged woman trying to converse with this "stranger". There were moments of pure tenderness and then there were times of utter sorrow that only a select few people, I believe, could relate to in this story. Are you one of them? You will just have to find out. Certified Copy is an original story and one that I believe not many will enjoy. You must have patience and an understanding that this tale doesn't take a typical path. Plus, as in real-life, there aren't answers to everything and there aren't always cathartic moments that allow you to let go of the story once it is over. Many use films to escape the drudgery of their world, but some films draw you right back into the things you fear or sadden you the most. So if you are looking for an uplifting, overly romantic love story - I suggest you watch something else. However, if you want to be surprised, witness a real relationship between two people and decide for yourself how it ended - then Certified Copy is your movie. My favorite thing: When I realized what I was really watching. My least favorite thing: Not gonna say. Rating: UR Length: 106 minutes Review: 9 out of 10

• Dan S

  
  A delightful romantic-comedy concerning an accomplished author (William Shimell) and his afternoon with a woman (Juliette Binoche) who attends a lecture of his latest book, and the relationship they start (or perhaps continue) as a result of a sparkling discussion concerning art,… More
  A delightful romantic-comedy concerning an accomplished author (William Shimell) and his afternoon with a woman (Juliette Binoche) who attends a lecture of his latest book, and the relationship they start (or perhaps continue) as a result of a sparkling discussion concerning art, philosophy, love, and land. What sounds like a boring, pretentious film is actually surprisingly light in tone, but not so much to sacrifice the intense, emotional performances of both Shimell and Binoche. Think "Before Sunrise"/"Before Sunset" only with a little more hurt involved, but still nonetheless engrossing and never dull. There are some brilliant scenes and moments of character interaction (one being the two leads literally talking in different languages - heightening the "confusion" each share concerning one another), and an ending that ends on a saddening, yet appropriate note. Not for all tastes, but this film is so effortlessly acted and directed, it is hard not to get sucked into this private, intimate ongoing conversation that tackles a lot in a 100 minute running time.

• Greg S

  
  An antiques shop dealer contacts the writer of "Certified Copy," a book that proclaims that copies are as important as originals, to argue about his theory; as their day together progresses their relationship shifts until they end up playing different roles entirely. Gets… More
  An antiques shop dealer contacts the writer of "Certified Copy," a book that proclaims that copies are as important as originals, to argue about his theory; as their day together progresses their relationship shifts until they end up playing different roles entirely. Gets points for ambition, dialogue and acting, but it ends up playing like a psychological thriller with all the thrills taken out.

• Kalel J

  
  Concepts of falsity breathing rumination on place and purpose; Abbas Kiarostami's voyeuristic visual poetry is beautiful and painful - a fleshed out relational argument with a musing on art and originality. A cultural piece rightly in love with its surroundings, it is closely… More
  Concepts of falsity breathing rumination on place and purpose; Abbas Kiarostami's voyeuristic visual poetry is beautiful and painful - a fleshed out relational argument with a musing on art and originality. A cultural piece rightly in love with its surroundings, it is closely infused with personal lives and problems and holds concern for intent and perception. Intent with a person to their work and actions towards others; perceptions from others towards that work and the receiving of those actions. Perhaps what is most intriguing about the picture, however, is its sleight in interweaving these two notions and of its forcing of a perception from its audience. In a simple setting of two people conversing through the streets of Tuscany, these concepts are given a raw light. In the coupling of Binoche and screen-newcomer Shimell, the intents and wants of each part of a relationship are explored. But the catch is that these two are not a couple. Or are they? Kiarostami's screenplay has a wavering, wispy relation to facts. It is defined at the onset (through a fandom for art and literature) that these two have never met. Yet as the film progresses, there is much more underlying than what we are led to believe. It is easy to look at this vagueness with frustration as the film almost abruptly alters its tone and tension at its midpoint, but through this airiness in fact Kiarostami is able to point more closely at the IDEA of a relationship, and not of a couple in itself. It is level of falsity to the picture, where our perceptions are continually being challenged, that feeds this into these ideas so well.

• Randy T

  
  Asymmetrical transition made pleasantly palatable by Binoche's panache.

• Drew S

  
  Wickedly high-concept, much more than its incredible quiet would suggest, Certified Copy is a bold cinematic exploration. It's a relationship drama that grows quietly trippy; it's a shifting palette of colors, feelings, and intellectual clash; it is unfamiliar yet… More
  Wickedly high-concept, much more than its incredible quiet would suggest, Certified Copy is a bold cinematic exploration. It's a relationship drama that grows quietly trippy; it's a shifting palette of colors, feelings, and intellectual clash; it is unfamiliar yet heartbreaking, restrained and explosive, and is completely comfortable with all of the multifaceted ground it explores. Abbas Kiarostami's preoccupations with identity are explored to considerable academic effect here - the way the characters grapple with the concept of the "copy" starts as a highly cerebral clash. One argues the value of originality, while the other stresses that a copy has every bit the same merit as its source work. As their relationship begins to take on a strange, inexplicable form, it becomes clear that everything can be reconstructed and "copied," like a relationship, or a life. The stakes are removed totally from merely objective criticism and dissection of imitation within art, and with incredible dexterity, Juliette Binoche and William Shimell act out a facsimile of a complex relationship to an extent where even they start to believe in what they're saying. Is there an "original" to which their hypothetical scenario references, or is this film just the folie a deux of a pair of educated loners? It is a full-bodied, intriguing, emotional mystery, one worth exploring for every second.

• Alireza M

  
  I'm not very familiar with Kiarostami's old movies.Copy Certified is the second one I've seen from him and for me as a Persian it's embarrassing .I was mostly influenced by the propaganda in Iran against Kiarostami whose films always had been accused of being… More
  I'm not very familiar with Kiarostami's old movies.Copy Certified is the second one I've seen from him and for me as a Persian it's embarrassing .I was mostly influenced by the propaganda in Iran against Kiarostami whose films always had been accused of being pretentious and simpleminded .I saw Ten long time ago and I hated it,but after watching this impressive avant garde ,I think I should watch it again.It's hard to write about the point of the movie in few lines since it's too rich and deep.Only thing I didn't like about this movie was Elle character who wasn't believable and her sentimental behavior didn't seem convincing.

• Gordon A

  
  Observant, graceful meander through the age old battle of the sexes and the mismatched perceptions and needs of a couple. Binoche is mesmerising as always.

• Mark A

  
  I just watched Certified Copy and I was blown away, completely captivated. The dialog reminded me of some of the best dialog driven films, like Before Sunrise. Lots of walking and talking, and not a lot of action, but still managed to convey a good deal of emotion. Juliette was… More
  I just watched Certified Copy and I was blown away, completely captivated. The dialog reminded me of some of the best dialog driven films, like Before Sunrise. Lots of walking and talking, and not a lot of action, but still managed to convey a good deal of emotion. Juliette was marvelous. The script was a bit odd, designed to keep the viewer from guessing the relationship right away, but by the end, there was no doubt. I loved the scenery and the activity in the small town where the meat of the story takes place, and the various people they interact with and see as they walk about the town. Marvelous.

• Grant B

  
  Directed by "controversial" Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, "Certified Copy" is a film about what is real and what is fake. Juliette Binoche plays a woman only known as "she" (as revealed by the credits) who is moderately infatuated with a man named… More
  Directed by "controversial" Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, "Certified Copy" is a film about what is real and what is fake. Juliette Binoche plays a woman only known as "she" (as revealed by the credits) who is moderately infatuated with a man named James Miller who has written a book titled "Certified Copy" which examines the importance of copies and forged artworks and how the fake artworks can bring viewers of art closer to the originals (even though it isn't real)... thus begins our film. The unnamed main character (she), invites the author to see her personal antique collection, and from that point they spend the entire day together. Their day begins simply by talking about art as they drive through the streets of Italy, but when they stop at a coffee shop and the elderly lady serving the coffee mistakes them for being a married couple Juliette Binoche's character decides to play along. For the rest of the day, she and James spend the whole day pretending to be a married couple traveling through Italy for their 15th wedding anniversary. The script of "Certified Copy" is not perfect, but it is the small coincidences and random background noises or images that really help the theme of this film breathe. Wedding bells are heard from chapels constantly, and newly weds still in suits and white dresses are seen in several scenes parading the streets and having their pictures taken. (Having the main character unnamed also implies a sense of submission to one' husband as found in wedding vows and the culture that the director is from.) Where this film could have fallen apart, is just when the story picks up. At times, their pretending and references to events that both of them know never happened (example: their wedding day) cross a line of unbelievability as we, as an audience, have to cross the hurtle that both characters are choosing to pretend their married without ever acknowledging that they are pretending. That's where the theme of the film shines at its a best. It does't matter that they weren't really married, as it helped them see their own flaws and gain a greater understanding of love and marriage (just as a forged painting can give a viewer the same knowledge as the real painting). This movie isn't for everyone, but it is a beautiful look at the occasionally ugly side of love and the things that love can make people do for others.

• Hassan V

  
  The few critics of Abbas Kiarostami have always suggested that his films are always made for an art house European audience and not for an audience more akin to his usual subject; Iranian society. This is his first film made outside Iran and it is wine drinking, beret wearing European… More
  The few critics of Abbas Kiarostami have always suggested that his films are always made for an art house European audience and not for an audience more akin to his usual subject; Iranian society. This is his first film made outside Iran and it is wine drinking, beret wearing European film critics wet dream. Chopping and changing between three languages, endless discussion of art and a totally open ended narrative. Past this apparent surface though is Kiarostami still has his incredible vision of cinema at work. It doesn't have the raw human emotions of his previous work, but using European polish he does create a charming romantic notion that plays on the mind as well as the heart.

• Alec B

  
  While it deals with what appears to be shifting realities and personalities, director Abbas Kiarostami doesn't use literal shifts to suggests this. Rather, the two central characters have either planned an elaborate fantasy game from even before the start of the film, or they… More
  While it deals with what appears to be shifting realities and personalities, director Abbas Kiarostami doesn't use literal shifts to suggests this. Rather, the two central characters have either planned an elaborate fantasy game from even before the start of the film, or they improvise their supposed relationship on a whim and gradually start to accept this little game as truth (or at least as a possible truth). Kiarostami calls into question the very nature of relationships and how we view them, both up close in our own lives and other people at a distance. What really makes this film work are the two central performances of Juliette Binoche and William Shimell. Outside of quickly changing between three languages in almost every scene, they also manage to create characters that are utterly believable and yet we constantly question the truth of their statements. Its a beautiful film, and one that I will probably still be thinking about for a long time.

• Lesley N

  
  A couple (or are they) hang out in Tuscany for a day and squabble, endlessly .... about art, relationships, each other, child-rearing, which of them is right.... I don't know which of them bored me more by the end.

• Daisy M

  
  If you are familiar with Persian director Abbas Kiarostami movies then you knew that Certified Copy was something different from his other work. I have seen Taste of Cherry some time ago, where he used simple cinematic style consisting of long takes between two characters,and here… More
  If you are familiar with Persian director Abbas Kiarostami movies then you knew that Certified Copy was something different from his other work. I have seen Taste of Cherry some time ago, where he used simple cinematic style consisting of long takes between two characters,and here his camera was more focused on Binoche, she was fascinating, and carried the movie through.It reminded me in some ways to Linklater movie, Before Sunrise.Certified Copy was a twisted, touching story that played with what was a copy or an imagination.This Kiarostami's movie was one without limits,it never explained the relationship between the two characters, leaving it for the audiences to resolve. While the audience might break their heads to come to different conclusions, the truth and all the clues were right there.This is my conclusion, I might be wrong, but I believe they're not married, they know each other and she is mistress for 15 years and she long to be his wife, but I think he is married. Their relationship was a copy of a marriage, and that proved why she was so interested and involved to the other brides who appeared throughout the movie.Its not a movie for everyone and to really understand the movie, one must get fully engaged in their conversations or leave it for a second viewing.

• Tom S

  
  I actually dozed for parts of it, and yet was still totally blown away by it.

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