Review of Certified Copy (2010) by Rodney S — 10 Sep 2012

Iranian director Kiarostami's first Western film is an arty take on the "walk and talk" romance movie, perhaps best realised in Linklater's Before Sunrise/Sunset duo. Set in beautiful rural Tuscany, the Mediterranean location is an appropritae setting for the intimate and occasionally volatile conversation between English writer James and French mother Elle.

At first it seems like a straightforward middle-age romance, yet a single story shared over a coffee completely changes the boundaries of the relationship. It seems that not only do the couple know each other, but they probably either are or have been married and have a child together.

Binoche is superb in a continuously shifting emotional role, while non-professional actor Shimmel is appropriately blank and emotionally cold. My biggest criticism with the film is I just didn't understand the point of the suddenly shifted relationship.

It seemed to be a purely intellectual manipulation, rather than making emotional sense to the first section of the film. There's a lot to like about the film, but I couldn't grasp its fundamental point, other than simply love hurts.