Culture

Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
NZIFF
(4/5)

Certified Copy is an enchanting reflection on the nature of art, relationships, marriage, and – in a wider sense – reality.
   James Miller (William Shimell) is a British academic who is in Tuscany promoting his new book, which is an exploration of the value of original artwork versus copies. While in Tuscany, he meets a French woman (Juliette Binoche) and they end up spending a day together. They walk, talk, drive, dine, and discuss the themes of his book. Why do we value something more because it is an original, even if a copy looks exactly the same? Is it our perception which changes the value of something? These ideas of originality and imitation are present throughout the film, in relation not only to art, but to real life. Early on in the film, Binoche and Shimell are mistaken for a married couple by a woman in a coffee shop. They play along, and end up playing along for the rest of the film. The funny thing is that it does not seem like they are pretending at all, in fact, they seem to have convinced themselves that they are a ‘copy’ of a ‘real’ husband and wife.
   Binoche’s versatility shines through in this film: she switches between French, Italian, and English effortlessly, and her performance is incredibly convincing. To some extent she reminded me of Julie Delphy in Before Sunset and Before Sunrise – acting, yet not seeming like she was acting at all.
   Despite the perhaps sometimes ‘middle-aged’ humour in the film, this is not just a film for old people. A thought-provoking, stirring and beautiful piece of cinema, definitely watch Certified Copy if you get the chance.