Tag: Certified Copy

Review: Certified Copy

“Certified Copy” is a film that can hardly be spoiled by discussion. It demands to be seen and further discussed as soon as it completes casting its spell on you.

The painting “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugene Delacroix rests on the wall in the Louvre. When I visited there, I saw it and immediately thought of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.”

The symbolic meaning of the song associated with the fake image on the Coldplay album cover meant more to me than the symbolism behind the real thing. In fact I admired both equally.

The academic argument that serves as the initial basis of “Certified Copy” is that we often admire the copy of a work of art because in truth, all art is really just a representation of something.

But the miracle of Abbas Kiarostami’s film is in the seamlessly cinematic way he exposes the differences between what we think is real and what we think must be fake by staging stark and intertwining romances.

“Certified Copy” is a film that can hardly be spoiled by discussion. It demands to be seen and further discussed as soon as it completes casting its spell on you. Continue reading “Review: Certified Copy”

The Best Movies of 2011

“Drive” tops the list of my best movies of 2011.

I had to be convinced in just the last few weeks 2011 was a decent year for movies.

Catching up on some high profile winter titles made list making extra difficult this year.

Perhaps because of style over substance in some cases, no one movie jumped out as the year defining movie that no other could touch.

And although critics uniformly rallied behind “The Tree of Life” as the consensus favorite of the year, this year found critics getting behind just about anything as their number one choice, and they could often find at least someone to back them up.

It’s even made for an interesting Oscar race with no clear frontrunners.

But 2011 was a year for looking back. Veteran directors trumped newbies with nostalgia projects (“Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris,” “War Horse”) and grandiose epics (“Melancholia,” “The Tree of Life”). A few indies and up-and-comers stepped forward, but they made timeless statements (“Weekend,” “Beginners,” “Super 8,” “The Descendants”) rather than 21st Century relics, with a few exceptions (“Margin Call,” “Moneyball,” “50/50”).

Last year I assigned titles to each movie for what they stood for in the year, and there was one clear winner. This year no such labels exist, and just about any could be my favorite.

I’ve done my best to mention films that need mentioning and forgotten the rest. (Most titles are linked to subsequent reviews on my website.)

1. Drive

The Driver is in a plain silver sedan parked underneath a bridge as a helicopter passes overhead. He sits silently and does not make a bold getaway, and yet this is one of the more exciting scenes in the most invigorating and intense motion picture of the year. Continue reading “The Best Movies of 2011”