"Copie Conforme" is intimate without being intrusive, blending insight and cynicism to portray the dynamics of a marriage that never was.
This could be the gentlest, most patient and sympathetic of all Abbas Kiarostami's works — and in a way, the movie (released as "Tosukaana no Gansaku" in Japan, and "Certified Copy" in the United States) echoes the sentiments of 1987's "Where is the Friend's Home?," which put Kiarostami's name on the map and alerted the world to the emergence of Iranian films.
It echoes that film, yes, but in no way is "Copie Conforme" a replica of Kiarostami's early works. At 70 years old, the auteur displays a surprising flexibility and scope for style. And running like an undercurrent throughout the film is the length, breadth and richness of his long, private journey.
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