Certified Copy

Certified Copy

I had been up since 3:15 a.m. watching every second of that memorable wedding The movie pickings were limited and with sheer exhaustion I chose the closest film I could find. I knew Juliette Binoche was in the film. She won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in this film. I had also heard that Tuscany was the setting for the film. What could be better than that?

I really enjoyed the English, French and Italian spoken in the film. Of course there were sub titles for the French and Italian.

It is a delightful film but I do warn you. If you do not like long dialog and philosophical discussion you may be bored. I delighted in the banter between the characters played by Juliette Binoche and the very handsome William Shimell. We never do learn the name of the female character. I found that very strange. She runs an antique shop. She has a precocious son. I would not call their relationship very positive. He is a ‘know it all’ and has comments on everything.

Shimell plays the role of James Miller an author and art historian. They get together after his lecture and he asks her to drive him around the countryside. Tuscany is my favorite spot in the world. They stop in small villages for a coffee or a glass of wine. All the time they are discussing life. They discuss the value of original work over copies. They banter about the topic of simplicity.

In one café he steps outside to take a phone call. She has a fascinating discussion with the café worker. They talk about marriage. In another restaurant we see a bride and groom outside enjoying their festivities and having photos taken. James comments on the illusion of the newlyweds. I loved this scene in the local piazza. The accordion player was adding background music. The old buildings around the square were so beautifully filmed. The bride and groom represented hope and the future. The couple added a sense of reality.

We soon learn the relationship between the antique dealer and the art historian. All the background discussion begins to make sense. Talking about marriage and looking at happy newly weds has a real purpose in developing the plot.

At one point the statement is made. “People must live their lives for themselves.” That does become the central theme of the film. The two main characters are trying to struggle with this concept.

James Miller was rigid and argumentative. He tended to only see his side of the argument. I felt for her because she made such an effort to communicate with him.

There is a lot of dialog but it is worth listening. I loved the background of the small towns in Tuscany. I enjoyed the total experience.