Diary entries forCertified Copy
Certified Copy
Trying to separate the "facts" from the fictions falls away a bit, yeah? (And who among us can interpret anything while Juliette Binoche stares directly at you, yes YOU!) Engrossing playacting within playacting. And when any film settles on acknowledgment of itself as created work there's a lot that could fall through, but here it only feels like the dialogues become that much more immediate or even desperate. A retort or plea or glance can hold immediate weight beyond the frame now, it has breached containment! What have you experienced Kiarostami? What have we experienced? This is only his second feature I've seen so far, and if my being surgically inspected & peeled apart (https://letterboxd.com/breakfastcowl/film/taste-of-cherry/) by Taste of Cherry is any further indicator (spoiler), I have cause to be worried about a years long slow-boil taking over that won't let me alone.
Certified Copy
Binoche + Kiarostami + Complexity + metaphysics / Love = THIS MASTERPIECE.
Certified Copy
if we were more tolerant of each other's weaknesses, we'd be less alone i loved it. certified copy marks my third encounter with kiarostami after 'close-up', 'taste of cherry' and 'where is the friend's house?'. elle and miller aren't designed for audience attachment or investment. instead, kiarostami deliberately presents scenes devoid of context. his aim isn't to provide a comprehensive story, but to evoke certain emotions. i love the' before trilogy' for it's comfort in the obvious connection between the two leads but, certified copy is not meant to be a touching story. it is not about two people falling in love. it's an exploration between the film's central theme, an original versus a copy, through the characters, they do not share similar ideals and you could not term them as comparable. binoche and shimell, reminiscent of hawke and delpy in the 'before trilogy', anchor the film's ideas with grounded and authentic performances. binoche's performance is nothing short of extraordinary. she's a whirlwind of emotions - introspective at one moment, explosive in the next, and before you know it, she's seductive and tender. on the other hand... shimell (just learnt that this was his first acting performance), excels in quieter moments of charm, because his portrayal of anger reveals his inexperience. the film doesn't offer a neat, coherent narrative. there may be no clear character arcs to follow or judge, but it is definitely worth your time.
Certified Copy
“There’s nothing very simple about being simple.” Absolutely floored by this. Thick with substance, Certified Copymarks my initial foray into Abbas Kiarostami’s filmography — and what an amazing introduction it is. This is a film all about perspective. What we see, what we choose to see, and what we want to see. The film follows two strangers that begin to learn about each other — at first, that is. The film goes and transforms into a very different story which completely recontextualizes the entire first half. Then it does it again. And once more. Certified Copyis the definition of transformative cinema in all the right ways. It’s an incredibly powerful, gut wrenching film elevated by its amazing cast and ingenious script. Very reminiscent of something like Jafar Panahi’sThe Mirror.
Certified Copy
Kiarostami does 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘴 by way of Linklater's Before Trilogy (https://letterboxd.com/bulgogiboi/film/before-sunrise/). It could almost work as the fourth installment in Linklater's beloved trilogy, as a way of aiding to the illusions and delights of the theme of originality explored in this film. It is best to go into this without knowing anything. The "twist" made it for me. Kiarostami looks to poetry in dialogue, in conflicting characters, outside of his usual realm of nature to tackle on ideas always inherent in his work. Form and originality's form. Conveying. Meaning. Getting to the truth. Was slapped over the head in the museum scene when the docent talked about the painting/copy of the painting while Binoche's character translates for Shimell's character. Layers and layers (and Kiarostami is so good at this) of playing with the idea of form, meaning, and conveyance. All of it converges in something inconclusive, and so, works out much like a puzzle for plenty of viewing experiences in the future. Binoche is a riot here. In Italian, in French, in English. Spellbinding. *on my second viewing, will focus on why characters chose different languages to speak in a cause de conveyance, meaning, and original feeling. what is our intention? what do we mean to feel and for others to feel? what do i want you to feel?
Certified Copy
"It seems to me that the human race is the only species who have forgotten the whole purpose of life, the whole meaning of existence is to have fun, to have pleasure. and here is someone who's found their own way to do it, we shouldn't judge them for it, if they're happy and enjoying life, we should congratulate them not criticize them." A lot of meaningful dialogue here which will open your mind about life and relationship thing.
Certified Copy
Aku suka film ngobrol seperti ini. Pertama kali banget nonton film ini pas awal-awal kuliah dan gw ga ngeh ternyata Kiarostami's Certified Copy semenarik ini. The title "Certified Copy" suit the plot really well. Now I get it! Secara gak langsung menurut gw ini surat cinta Kiarostami untuk sinema. Karena gak semua yang "Asli" itu bermakna, kadang "Tiruan" seperti film justru bisa kasih makna mendalam bagi kehidupan kita. Satu hal yg bikin film ini terasa spesial adalah chemistry between Binoche and Shimell. Their chemistry were crazy!
