Remembering a legend of world cinema
Prolific Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami died July 4 in Paris, France. During a career that spanned more than 40 years, his work was honored with numerous awards, including the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for 1997’s Taste of Cherry. His films are worth seeking out, particularly Certified Copy (2010), a marvelous exploration of authenticity in art and relationships.
James Miller (William Shimell) is a British author who is visiting Tuscany as part of a promotional tour for his latest book, Certified Copy. In his book, Miller argues that in art reproductions are just as valid as the original work because it “leads us to the original and in this way certifies its value.” He believes this approach could lead to an understanding of life as well as art.
Shortly after the lecture begins, an antiques dealer (Juliette Binoche) arrives accompanied by her teenage son. Her son is restless and keeps distracting her until she finally decides to leave, but not before giving her number and address to Miller’s translator. Although the dealer disagrees with many of the points Miller makes in his book, she is eager to meet him and has purchased several copies of the book for him to sign. The next day, Miller visits the dealer at her shop and they spend the afternoon driving through the countryside, visiting museums and debating the importance of authenticity in art. At a local café, Miller steps out to take a call, and the café’s owner mistakes Miller for the dealer’s husband. The dealer doesn’t correct the owner, and tells her that they’ve been married for 15 years. When Miller returns to the café, the dealer tells him the café owner thinks they’re married and at this point the nature of their conversation shifts. Miller and the dealer begin to relate to each other as if they have truly been married for 15 years: they discuss her son as if he is their son, and they begin to share memories and grievances. He even begins conversing with her in French instead of English. The reality of their relationship gradually becomes ambiguous, and the viewer is left to wonder if they really are a couple or simply two people copying the behavior of a long-married couple.
Certified Copy reminded me of director Richard Linklater’s trilogy of films featuring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. In Linklater’s films as well as Certified Copy, you’re following the development of a relationship, and all of the action and dialogue serves to move the relationship forward. Unlike the relationship between Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy) in the Linklater films, I wasn’t sure if I was seeing an authentic relationship unfold or one that was a reproduction of a 15-year marriage. This ambiguity is quite effective in that it mirrors the philosophy of life and art Miller discusses in his lecture.
The film is beautifully acted. Shimell, a British opera singer making his feature film debut, is a terrific foil for Binoche, who won the best actress award at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. They’re together in nearly every scene, and their chemistry makes the relationship between their characters engaging and convincing.
Playful and thoughtful, Certified Copy is a clever mediation on the nature of art and relationships. The dialogue is in English, French, and Italian with English subtitles.
