Certified Copy (Copie Conforme) (2011)
82%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 10 wins & 28 nominations
The main stars are absolutely perfect in this absorbing, existential drama that dissects human relationships
Certified Copy is a movie that will make you question reality, but don’t worry, you won’t need a philosophy degree to enjoy it. With the stunning performance of Juliette Binoche (and her transfixing cleavage, according to one critic), this movie is a journey of the heart that will leave you feeling cathartic and rapturous. Plus, William Shimell is an engaging presence, even if he’s just along for the ride. So sit back, relax, and let Kiarostami blow away your expectations with his elegance in simplicity.
Production Company(ies)
K T C A Minneapolis Kartemquin Films, Sprockets Music
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Lucignano, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 46m
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Language(s):French, English, Italian
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Country of origin:France
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 11, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 6, 2011
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
Keyword(s)
Certified Copy, Drama, Romance, 1h 46m, Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, directed by Abbas Kiarostami, written by Abbas Kiarostami, produced by Marin Karmitz, Nathanaël Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Angelo Barbagallo, reviewed by Keith Uhlich, Marjorie Baumgarten, James Berardinelli, J R Jones, John Hartl, Joe Williams, Dustin Chang, Richard Propes, Yasser Medina, Brian D Johnson, Mattie Lucas, Kelly Jane Torrance, box office gross $1.3M, MPAA rating, existential drama, human relationships, Tuscany, Italy, French store owner, English author, museum, wedding destination, copies of major works of art, philosophy, fluidity of identity, illusion of the self, cinema as a copy of life, imitating cinema, art, painting, sculpture, clothes, jewelry, wine, mind-bending, avant-garde technique, polymath, opera singer, cinematography, plain look, TV movie, top horror movies to watch now, RT Podcasts, most anticipated movies, most anticipated TV & streaming, all MCU movies ranked by Tomatometer, renewed & cancelled TV shows 2022, best 2022 horror movies ranked by Tomatometer, TV premiere dates 2022, worst horror movies of all time, best Netflix series & shows
Worldwide gross: $7,736,632
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,185,260
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,960
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,110,715
US/Canada gross: $1,373,975
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,808,835
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,063
US/Canada opening weekend: $77,937
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $102,604
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,922
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): 7000000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $9,215,485
Production budget ranking: 1,705
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,962,539
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$3,992,764
ROI to date (est.): -28%
ROI ranking: 1,554
William Shimell – James Miller
Jean-Claude Carrière – Man
Agathe Natanson – Woman
Gianna Giachetti – Cafe Patron
Adrian Moore – The Son
Director(s)
Abbas Kiarostami
Writer(s)
Abbas Kiarostami
Producer(s)
Marin Karmitz, Nathanaël Karmitz, Charles Gillibert, Angelo Barbagallo
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 28 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (135) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (120) | Rotten (15)
The truth hides somewhere in [the] collision of being and non-being, always just out of reach.
January 30, 2020
Keith Uhlich
Reverse Shot
TOP CRITIC
Were it not for the transcendent presence of Binoche (and her transfixing cleavage), I suspect Certified Copy might feel even more like homework.
April 30, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
. The basic plot – a man and a woman traveling and talking – is reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise/Before Sunset films, but the way in which Certified Copy calls into question the nature of reality is more akin to Inception.
April 27, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
The conclusion is abrupt and unsatisfying, but the philosophical dialogue Kiarostami manages to keep aloft for well over an hour touches on intriguing questions of openness, self-honesty, and personal freedom.
April 15, 2011
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The movie threatens to become a sketch about a coquette and a boor squabbling at each other to little effect.
April 7, 2011 | Rating: 2.5/4
John Hartl
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
“Certified Copy” promises more than it delivers, but the limited portions are fresh.
April 1, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
I realized while watching it, that Kiarostami was at it with his magic again, completely blowing away my expections of what the movie was going to be with his elegance in simplicity.
March 21, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Binoche is simply extraordinary here.
September 5, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
The philosophical dialogues and performances of Shimell and Binoche, stimulate our senses with an emotional resonance that is at times enigmatic. [Full review in Spanish]
June 27, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
…this mobius strip of a movie feels lop-sided. We feel Binoche is doing all the heavy-lifting and Shimmel is just along for the ride.
August 19, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
For the loved, for the lost, for the wounded, Certified Copy is a cathartic and rapturous journey of the heart that won’t soon be forgotten.
August 5, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
[William Shimell’s] an engaging presence, cool and confident in front of the camera.
January 8, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner…
Plot
While promoting his new book in Tuscany, English author James meets French store owner Elle and they spend a day together, pretending to be a married couple. As they get to know each other, their relationship becomes more complex and mysterious.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features an unusual casting choice, with opera singer William Shimell playing the lead role of James Miller.
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