In “Certified Copy,” celebrated Iranian writer/director Abbas Kiarostami ("Taste of Cherry") plays with the philosophical idea of “copies” and whether they are any less important than an original. Beautifully playing into this theme are stars Juliette Binoche, who for her performance as Elle won Best Actress Award at Cannes, and well-known opera singer William Shimell in his film debut.
In his first feature made outside of Iran, Kiarostami continues to explore his oft-used themes of image, reflections and their relationship between fiction versus realism. Fans looking for a film full of symbols, intriguing compositions and continued questions of what is exactly real in this couples’ past, will be riveted in trying to solve its message. Those looking for a simple adult love story set against the backdrop of Tuscany, may feel frustration and that of being “tricked” with the director’s vision.
No matter what side of the theatre aisle you’re on, credit must be given to Kiarostami’s handling of his subject of “certified copies.” It’s easy to relate to duplicates or forgeries in paintings and sculptures. It’s less obvious when thinking about a copy in terms of a human attitude or philosophically what constitutes a marriage.
The story seems simple enough – art historian author, James Miller (Shimell) comes to Tuscany on his book tour; Elle (Binoche), a French antiques dealer offers to take Miller on an excursion to a neighboring town. One might think we’re in for a romantic entanglement between the two, a facsimile seen numerous times before. But this coupling is different. In no time, Elle and Miller are taking on the role of a married couple, at first as an uncorrected mistake, and then … it’s hard to say.
From the film’s start we’re introduced to the subject of “copies” as we stare dead-on at a book translated from the English “Certified Copy.” A few moments later we meet its author, James Miller. As he lectures, we take on Miller’s point-of-view; it’s as if we’ve become a replica of Miller delivering his speech. This cinematic technique is repeated often – Elle and Miller often argue their beliefs on art, life and the meaning of marriage directly into the camera. We’re drawn in as if participants to the conversations or fights.
Feeding into this idea of imitated fiction are Kiarostami and his cinematographer Luca Bigazzi’s use of mirrors, window reflections, and even deep focus camera work where, in this case, the background takes on a much more important role than the foreground action. An expressive use of this appears when Elle takes Miller to the “Golden Tree,” a place where young couples are married for good luck. Elle tells a bride and groom that she and her “husband” were married there 15 years ago. Refusing to take part in this story is Miller, who sits outside the room, in the extreme foreground left, while flashbulbs pop and conversations take place in the background, right. When he is finally coerced into the room, a nervous bride fills his seat in the foreground, a duplicate for another marriage to be.
“Certified Copy” calls to mind a film with an equally passionate following of lovers and haters – the 1961 Alain Resnais film, “Last Year at Marienbad.” Extraordinary or divisive, realistic or irritating, you’ll have to see “Certified Copy” yourself to make your decision.
“Certified Copy” is 106 minutes and not rated. It currently plays at the Landmark Theatres. Beginning March 23, the film airs through IFC’s cable VOD.
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