Certified Copy (2010)

IMDb plot summary: In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged British writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano. While there, a chance question reveals something deeper.

Directed by Abbas Kiarostami. Stars Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, and Jean-Claude Carrière.

Certified Copy follows a French woman and an American writer who meet each other at the man's book signing, and they spend a day together. As the day goes on, they discuss the philosophy of copies versus originals, and then it becomes unclear what their relationship to each other truly is. I couldn't get a handle on this one at *all*. I assume it's trying to Make Big Points over coherence but I can't track the theme. I got thoroughly confused halfway through when it seemed like I'd just fully misunderstood the story, and then by the time I realized it was on purpose and I wasn't just forgetting plot points, I was too annoyed to like it. The philosophical discussions about copies vs originals also stopped losing steam around that point. This is clearly just a movie I don't "get," so I'll have to see if anyone has an interpretation of this that makes it more appealing to me, but for now, this movie is decidedly Not For Me.

How it entered my Flickchart:

🎥 Certified Copy (2010)

📊 Ranked #3253/4156 on my Flickchart

🎯 Flickscore™: 22

lost to Fahrenheit 451 (held at #2076)

lost to Sliding Doors (held at #3115)

beat Cruel Intentions (#3634 → #3635)

beat The Last of the Mohicans (#3374 → #3375)

lost to Cars (held at #3244)

beat The Girl Said No (#3309 → #3310)

beat CQ (#3276 → #3277)

beat Warm Bodies (#3260 → #3261)

lost to My Best Friend's Wedding (held at #3252)

beat Susannah of the Mounties (#3256 → #3257)

beat The Killing (#3254 → #3255)

beat Frantic (#3253 → #3254)