Movie review: Certified Copy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Drama, Romance

Opens locally April 1st, 2011 (exclusively at the Maple Art in Bloomfield Hills)

Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes, Not Rated

Starring: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell

​Written & Directed by Abbas Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry, Through the Olive Trees)

​"Certified Copy" is certifiably pretentious. That's not to say that I didn't like it, I did. It's the kind of movie though, that can be viewed like a work of art. To some, it signifies brilliance, and artistic mastery. To others, you just stare at the canvas and think, "what the heck is that?"

The Plot. I really don't want to give much away. The plot involves a British author (Shimell) who has written a book dealing with art. At a speaking engagement he meets (for the first time?) a woman (Binoche) interested in his work. When the two go for coffee and are mistaken (?) for a married couple, they then go on to pretend (?) to be just that.

The secrets of the movie lie in the opening dialogue and in the topic of the author's book. What is art, and why does a copy not hold any value if it is in fact the same piece of work? If the original were to be destroyed, would the copy gain value? The idea parallels the romantic relationship between the two, and us as audience are left to decipher what is meant. Did this couple just meet for the first time, or did they just pretend to meet? Have they really been in a relationship or are they really pretending? Does it really matter? Yes, pretentious is what I thought, but the movie is so simple and graceful, that I must say I was captivated in trying to interpret the movie.

​Like a painting on the wall, the movie doesn't leave us with any firm answers, which for some will be very frustrating. It is how you perceive it. And that you see, is the point.
For me though, "Certified Copy" was an enjoyable original, a work of art that I'll act like I know what it's all about, secretly wondering if I really do.