Certified Copy (2010)

 3.5/5

hmm... interesting. 

Certified Copy is about a French woman (Juliette Binoche) living in Tuscany with her tween son. she meets this British writer James Miller (William Shimell) who has written a book about original art and replicas. the two get together and head off to spend a day in the town of Lucignano where they walk and talk - but when their conversation suddenly takes a turn, the audience starts to wonder what game these two are playing... 

 
Certified Copy reminded me of a middle-aged version of Before Sunrise (however with less perhaps pretension and much more mystery). for the first half hour, i was a little put-off with Elle (Binoche's character) - i didn't like her (or her son) very much. my first impression was that she was flighty and a bit irritating - the way she was distracted and whispering throughout James' book reading pissed me off - i wanted to shush her and strangle her rude son and chop off his Justin Bieber bangs. and later, when Elle and James actually meet and start driving out of Florence, the conversation in the car is tense, and i was thinking to myself that this guy is being nicer than i would be to such a stranger. she comes off keen, anxious, and nervous - she seems like she's trying very hard to impress. but then she also gives off some attitude - at moments seeming distant and a bit annoyed - but any attitude Elle has seems to slide right off of James who just wants to enjoy the view. 

hmm... 

so, it's a bit of a slow start, UNTIL we reach the scene at the cafe. when a waitress assumes that Elle and James are a married couple, the film and the characters suddenly become very intriguing. i started to really care about the story and the characters - i wanted to know who are these two to each other? are James and Elle strangers pretending they have a history? or are they just a couple pretending to be perfect strangers? as the story unfolds, the characters begin to reveal themselves and a very complicated relationship. and despite being drawn into them and their relationship, i also felt like i was being held back at a distance, like i wasn't allowed any closer. i actually really enjoyed the feeling of not being totally privy to who Elle and James' really are - it made their characters more captivating. Binoche and Shimell's performances are wonderful - in fact, Binoche won Best Actress at Cannes in 2010 for the role. and (despite not loving some of the acting when James has a hissy-fit in the restaurant), i think Shimell should have won something, anything, for just being so bloody good-looking.

when the movie ended (even though i really needed to pee) i sat in my seat for a few minutes pondering. yes, pondering. this movie will make you PONDER. a few days later, i'm still thinking back to it, searching the film for clues - moments that will act as hints to who Elle and James really are. so, overall i enjoyed it - it's a (quiet) heart and mind f-ck (without leaving you feeling violated). so, if you're in a pondering mood, and if you're not looking for much action but rather a bit of a puzzle (and a beautiful stroll in an Italian town) i absolutely recommend Certified Copy. for what it's worth, i probably wouldn't see it again, nor would i buy it to add to my collection - one viewing has given me enough to ponder about.