CERTIFIED COPY

At the heart of Palme d’Or winner Abbas Kiarostami’s new film Certified Copy is a question; how well can we ever really know another person? Two strangers meet in Tuscany and embark on a strange and winding dialogue as they tour the countryside. What is the value of an artistic copy? How can we tell the real from the fake? Can we judge another’s happiness? As the film unfurls with the conversation, it becomes increasingly unclear what the nature of the character’s relationship is, as their lives begin to entangle and we are once again lost somewhere between the real and the copy. Laden with symbolism, lush scenery, and a measured and riveting narrative, and anchored by two subtle and intelligent performances (from the wonderul Juliette Binoche and opera baritone William Shimell), Certified Copy is a fascinating film, somewhat like the cinematic equivalent of standing between two mirrors. (KB) ****1/2