An enigmatic battle of the sexes which replaces the devastating emotional byplay of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with a more frustrating and intellectualized debate between man and woman, Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy will likely appeal more to the head than the heart. With two solid actors at the forefront and some exquisite Tuscany locations as a backdrop, Certified Copy masks its pretensions quite well, its ultimate meaning perhaps best left to the individual viewer who may or may not care who wins this sexually academic confrontation.
Certified Copy (Blu-ray)
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
Studio: Criterion
Year: 2010
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 106 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English/French/Italian
Subtitles: English
Region: A
MSRP: $ 39.95
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Review Date: May 16, 2012
The Film
3.5/5
A curio shop owner (Juliette Binoche) is thrilled to be able to spend some quality time with a celebrated author (William Shimell) whose latest book affirms the importance of copies of great art which help the world truly appreciate the original works. As the two spend the afternoon together exploring a small Tuscan village, they begin to enact their own copy of a troubled marriage, a fifteen year relationship marked by his selfish desire to live life on his own terms and her insistence that she and their son need his presence in their lives more often than his fleeting visits.
Abbas Kiarostami’s script clearly delineates each of the stances of the involved parties (and repeats them a bit too often), but what makes their afternoon of play acting interesting are the reactions of those around them to their strained behavior with one another. A new bride and groom, a man and woman who appreciate art, a café owner: all have their own advice or examples to offer the couple as to how their miserable lives can be made more bearable with some simple adjustments. Each of the protagonists, however, being stubbornly determined to have his or her stance prevail, finds a frustrating roadblock to any progress in changing the thinking of the other person. Kiarostami uses a multitude of close-ups as the characters plead their cases, so the camera remains still through much of the film. Still, Kiarostami’s themes of life’s main worth being the pleasures it provides (his view) and people needing the help of a supportive partner (her view) get a thorough airing without offering any compromises or conclusions.
Juliette Binoche won the Best Actress prize at Cannes for her work in the film, and her character (nameless in the movie) does have many moments of introspection that are heartbreakingly real. Opera star William Shimell does wonderfully well considering his lack of experience before a camera in a monumentally difficult role where emotions must be laid bare without bursting into an aria. The actors have an undeniable chemistry together which makes their role playing palatable; we almost begin to believe that they are a married couple on the edge of dissolution. Adrian Moore plays her rather bratty son with utter believability, and Jean-Claude Carriere has a tender moment advising the author about the best way to repair his damaged relationship. Gianna Giachetti brings a realistic earthiness to her role as the café owner with her own views on marriage and errant husbands.
Video Quality
4.5/5
The film has been framed at its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and the transfer is presented in 1080p resolution using the AVC codec. Apart from relatively weak black levels, the image is quite striking. Filmed digitally, sharpness is excellent throughout with outstanding and consistent contrast levels, and color is wonderfully managed including very realistic skin tones. There are no distracting video artifacts to mar the viewing experience. Subtitles when they’re used (part of the dialogue is in English) are in white and are very easy to read. The film has been divided into 17 chapters.
Audio Quality
4/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix is very effective if perhaps sometimes a bit too subtle for the amount of ambience that should be present in the fronts and particularly the rears with crowds of people in shops and at tourist attractions throughout the movie. Dialogue has been nicely recorded and placed firmly in the center channel.
Special Features
4/5
The Report is director Abbas Kiarostami’s second Iranian film, a 109 ½-minute movie which features the same battle of the sexes theme carried over into Certified Copy over thirty years later. The film, the only copy extant, is in abominable shape with some of the worst subtitles you’ll ever read (much omitted and words misspelled to the point of distraction), is presented in 1080p.
An interview with director Abbas Kiarostami discusses the film’s themes, describes some scenes which were cut, and tells of his joy of working with actress Juliette Binoche. It runs 16 minutes in 1080p.
“Let’s See Certified Copy” is a 52-minute making-of documentary produced in Italian showing lots of behind-the-scenes shots of the cast and crew working and featuring interviews with director Abbas Kiarostami (who repeats his extreme pleasure of working with both Binoche and DP Luca Bigazzi from the earlier interview), actors Juliette Binoche and William Shimell, cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, and sound technician Dominique Vieillard. It’s in 1080i.
The film’s 1080p trailer runs for 2 ¼ minutes.
The enclosed 22-page booklet contains cast and crew lists, some color stills from the film, and an essay on the career of Abbas Kiarostami by film critic Godfrey Cheshire.
The Criterion Blu-rays include a maneuvering tool called “Timeline” which can be pulled up from the menu or by pushing the red button on the remote. It shows you your progress on the disc and the title of the chapter you’re now in. Additionally, two other buttons on the remote can place or remove bookmarks if you decide to stop viewing before reaching the end of the film or want to mark specific places for later reference.
In Conclusion
4/5 (not an average)
Not as deep or meaningful as one might expect from a serious confrontation between a stubborn and willful man and woman, but Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy certainly treads its own unique path. This outstanding Blu-ray transfer also includes some distinctive bonus material giving the package some added value.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
