When I first saw Certified Copy last year, I found myself totally
confused.
British art critic, James Miller (William Shimell) is in Tuscany speaking on his book
about copies vs. originals. During his lecture, a woman (Elle, whose last name
is never given, played by Juliette Binoche) enters and sits in the front row in a chair which has a reserved sign on
it. She is greeted with a nod by James’ publicist, and she is followed in by her 15 year
old son, who stand bored at the side playing a video game on his cellphone. The son insists
he’s hungry and they leave. Before leaving,
Elle gives the publicist a note to give to James. In the next scene the son
trails behind the mother as they go to a restaurant. In their ensuing
conversation, he asks her why she bought so many copies of the author's book and she doesn’t like him (her son) to use his surname. She is
obviously raising him alone. James appears at Elle's antique shop (which is filled
with expensive copies of statuary) and the two go off on a sight-seeing tour of
Tuscany before he returns at nine to leave. Is she a fan stalking her favorite? Is this their first time together? Or is there a history
here we don’t yet understand? The director/author throws hints but doesn't give full answers.
Elle takes James to a museum where there are wedding
couples. He asks for a coffee and they go to get it. James says the inspiration
of his book was watching a woman in Florence with her son who tags along behind her. Elle begins crying as he describes watching her explain about the David to her son and how it inspired him to write the book on originals
and copies. When he goes out to take a cellphone call, the female owner of the
shop begins talking about James as “your husband.” Elle doesn’t correct her and
says they had been together for 15 years. This is the moment a year ago that
blew me away.
Since the two spend the rest of the film discussing their
marriage, his absence, the difficulty she has living a life alone, shared
memories of the locations she takes him, I realized perhaps I was wrong
about my view the first time.
This viewing I made a conscious decision. This IS a couple who are together. They have made their
compromises and see each other periodically. As she tells the hostess, he is
obsessed with his job. But “he loves you,” insists the hostess. Later a
tourists tells James all Elle wants is for him to put his arm on her shoulder.
And he does.
Am I wrong? Perhaps. But for me the movie takes on a whole new shape is you accept
from the beginning that these are two people in love, in an extended
relationship, with two who have chosen the life they live.
Stylistically the film is quite interesting. As the trip
into the countryside begins, the director places the camera dead center on the car. A
typical shot, right? Untypical is that we see the city and the countryside reflecting in the windshield
encompassing the image of the two.
Later, as the couple sits and talks, the
director places the actors squarely in the center of the screen where they talk
directly to the camera. We have medium reaction shots, but the unrelenting camera’s
eye doesn’t allow the actor to hide.
Juliette Binoche and William Shimell are wonderful in their
roles and allow us to wonder and speculate what is really going on between the
two. For me, that mystery enriches the whole film. It's definitely a see-it for me.
Certified Copy (2010) ****
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