Culture

Directed by JAbbas Kiarostami. (4/5).
French films are always quite beautiful and this one is no exception, with a stunning performance by Juliette Binoche which won her the Best Actress award at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. The emotion on her face makes you giggle then vaults you into the depths of depression two minutes later, leaving you gasping desperately for Hollywood productions to get hold of some similarly good actors.
 
The film itself is a fascinating mind-fuck about the nature of relationships. What’s particularly great is that although it’s central theme is romance, it’s a mile away from being a chick-flick because it’s actually complex. And it’s probably the only one I’ve seen without a crappy sex scene- so if you’re a guy who frequents Monkey Bar then I wouldn’t recommend it. You never learn the name of Binoche’s character, but basically she goes with her creepy son to a book talk by British art writer/critic/philosopher/asshole James Miller, who’s just written Certified Copy, and seems to fall instantly in love.

In a typical French film sorta way she then meets up with him, but you spend the rest of the film trying to work out whether or not he’s her husband of fifteen years, as the cliché is turned upside-down and she tries to recreate the love they (may have) once had.
 
Both central characters have severe personality defects and neither ever listens to the other but this creates a wonderful, stark contrast against a charming Tuscan setting. Which leads onto the next great aspect of this film; the shots are gorgeous. You'll find yourself watching the roofs of a street reflected in a passing car windscreen rather than the two characters driving and talking, characters who are often only seen reflected in windows and Vespa mirrors. Dialogue too is a central aspect in the film and there's no musical soundtrack, but it’s honestly quite perfect that way.

Round all this off with an ambiguous ending – something which made you either love or hate Inception – and if you go with your coffee mates then you’ve got a film which will provide you with conversation about the nature of the romance genre for weeks.