LabuzaMovies.Com: italy

Thursday, January 26, 2012

VIDEO ESSAY — The Double Life of James and Juliette: Mysteries and Perceptions in Kiarostami's Certified Copy

Inspired by the recent wave of video criticism that has taken over blogs like Fandor and Press Play (both essential reading/viewing), I decided to try my own hand in writing, editing, and producing a video essay myself. The first, presented above, tackles my favorite film of 2011, Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy. I hope you enjoy this, as I had a great time making the essay, and hope to do more throughout 2012. Any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated, either in the comments below or by email.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Certified Copy: Lovers' Game Creates a Platonic Paradox

Certified Copy

Written and Directed By: Abbas Kiarostami

Starring: Juliette Binoche and WIlliam Shimell

Director of Photography: Luca Bigazzi, Editor: Bahman Kiarosami

Rated: Not Rated, but a tame movie with only a few moments of language

When the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami last appeared in US cinema screens, his film had about five camera set ups, one location, and mixed somewhere between reality and drama, all which made Ten one of the most brilliant films of the previous decade (He had a few other features and shorts, none which received much attention). Now we have Certified Copy, which stars Juliette Binchoe, is shot in one of the most gorgeous areas of Italy, and Mr. Kiarostami’s camera seems to have a much freer rein around the ara. Has he finally caved in?

Hardly, or not even a bit. Instead, Mr. Kiarostamihas made something extremely risky and very unique, a mystery film with his strongest narrative to date. Certified Copy is full of gripping emotion, yet at the same time, philosophical ideas as well, giving us lingering questions and shots that can be debated for months. The director may be working outside his home country, but we are really in his playground. Certified Copy is an exploration of perspective more than anything: whose do we see? What are we paying attention to? And does it matter what it represents in the end?

About the Author

Peter Labuza is the host of The Cinephiliacs and the author of Approaching The End: Imagining Apocalypse in American Film. He has contributed to Variety, Reverse Shot, Little White Lies, Indiewire, The Playlist, In Review Online, and Press Play. He serves as an editor for To Be (Cont'd), a columnist for The Film Stage, and a booklet editor for the UK Blu-Ray distributor Masters of Cinema. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Southern California in the Critical Studies department where he is focusing on the late studio period of Hollywood between 1959-1966. Previously, Peter earned both a BA and an MA in Film Studies from Columbia University in New York City.

Here at this blog, he collects links to his various writing, and posts other things of interest when he has the time and passion. Day to day, you can find him either chatting away on Twitter or writing brief thoughts on films on Letterboxd. He lives in Los Angeles and is often found roaming the city's various repertory theaters. You can reach Peter by email (plabuza@gmail.com) for possible writing/podcast opportunities that may interest him.