29 Mayis 2013 & ''herkesin bir gerekcesi vardir su hayatta.''

To those who say post-modernism can have no heart, I say, watch this film.

I could never have predicted that this concept, which looks potentially smart-alecky on paper, would be so fruitful. It's a touching and fascinating film, one of the most interesting and thought-provoking movies I've seen about cinema itself. Kiarostami devises the reconstruction with great intelligence and sensitivity. It's so ironic how Sabzian, the perpetrator of the fraud, is himself such a naive and suggestible fellow.

I can easily say that Close-Up is one of the most unique and extremely well made films I've ever seen. It didn't hit me as hard as it hit alot of other people, but I can definitely see how well this film was made. Its such an interesting premise. The non-professional actors did an extremely professional job. I was truly touched by the performance of Hossain Sabzian, he really shows us both in words, and just by looking at his face, how strongly cinema impacts those who thrive off it. Excellent.

Gerçeklik-kurgu ikilemi olan bir karakteri, bu iki kavramın yanına, sinemada gerçeğin temsili, kişilik, varoluş gibi bir çok kavramı katarak öyle bir işliyor ki Kiarostami, pek sevdiğim "çok katmanlı" tanımını defalarca hak eden tam anlamıyla bir başyapıt yaratıyor. Bunca zamandır bekletip, bu akşam izlemediğim için sevindim desem yeridir.

A unique and creative documentary / dramatization that is very interesting and surprisingly fun. The strange production is certainly part of what makes it interesting, but Sabzian is a compelling character whose bizarre logic is somehow understandable.

A must watch. The last third is just fantastically powerful and just dripping with humanity. I look forward to other AK films. As a side note, it's interesting to watch this immediately after Double vie de Veronique and see my favorite literary device of the unreliable narrator in film pop up twice in a row, and handled so differently--that's been one of the major points of every comparison between two instances I've ever written about.

One of my alltime favorite films

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who is an actor? a director? what is the movie and what is reality? the story unfolds like a novel by paul auster, handled by the finesse few masters like kiarostami. beautiful film making with poetic and mind tickling imagery are to key words to this fine piece of art.

A statement on the inability of documentaries to capture reality. Still, Close-up is absolutely a documentary, just one that intentionally indulges in the things that prevent many documentaries from capturing the objective facts about things (and becomes all the more fascinating because of this). Features the usual great things about Kiarostami - it's warm, compassionate, brimming with humanity.

Excels as both a heartfelt expression of humanity and as a deconstruction of how a movie can distort reality and play you like a fiddle. An amazing, unique film.

A statement on the inability of documentaries to capture reality. Still, Close-up is absolutely a documentary, just one that intentionally indulges in the things that prevent many documentaries from capturing the objective facts about things (and becomes all the more fascinating because of this). Features the usual great things about Kiarostami - it's warm, compassionate, brimming with humanity.

Story of a dreamer whose obsession for cinema goes beyond the norms of society, told by Kiarostami in an unusual for of a film - some segments are staged and acted, and others are real. It is an artistic film, and doesn't go out of its way to be entertaining or informative. The way Kiarostami sees and portrays Sabzian is great; I felt emphatic to him, but I wish the movie told more about him in more direct way.

The strange production is likely the most famous thing about the film, but there's no big deal made about it in the movie. I wouldn't have known what they did until reading about it afterward, it's executed brilliantly. The film itself is about art(cinema specifically), what it means to us and what different people will do in its name. It really forces you to think about your perceptions.

I love that the Iranian "Citizen Kane" isn't about a great man of industry, but a poor, slightly nutty cinephile, with dreams that are at once modest and deeply profound. The final scene flawlessly captures the appeal of the movies, at once totally fake and totally true.

Brilliant semi-documentary in which Kiarostami challenges our usual expectations about life and art and produces a warm and prescient human and social commentary.

Stunningly original and intriguing, well-crafted, and by the end, very moving. The last third is what really makes the film. If you can relate at all to Sabzian, it's doubly effective. Films about film tend to suck, but this one can't even be put in that category. It exists in an altogether other realm.

An unusual and compelling film that will really make you scratch your head. One of the main points of interest here is the production itself. Some scenes in the film consist of real, live footage of the actual events that took place; other scenes are dramatizations, but featuring the actual people involved, "playing" themselves! The centerpiece of the movie is the personality of the impostor Sabzian himself and the way he rationalizes his actions.

Blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, Kiarostami offers a film that challenges assumptions about the nature of truth, the flexibility of image, and the importance of recognizing perspective. The film manages to be both intellectually stimulating and heartfelt at once. Sabzian is a fascinating subject for a film, and Kiarostami made the perfect formal choices to highlight both his falsity and his truth. Beautiful stuff.

Gets pretty muddled in the middle with way too much boring conversations and a couple of really cringe worthy moments like the pointless aerosol can rolling down the street. Kiarostami even says that he filmed this scene for no reason just because he "felt like it and liked the look of the street." I really hate when directors fall prey to what a film school student would do and lose focus on the story and characters. I did love the last 30 minutes of this, but getting there is somewhat grating.

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Having the same real life people casted in the exact same setting to re-enact their own story is just something I still can't wrap my head around. Every scene is so gripping and intense because of this, and the documentary/fiction style it was shot in really adds a unique element to the film. There are some truly emotional moments here as layers of character and perspective unfold. A very interesting character study and one that lingers with you after it's over.