"Close Up is still the definitive film-on-film commentary." - Ed Gonzalez

Powerful and complex.

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.

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.

What a beautiful film. All the pieces come together, the characters are so universal that it's hard to believe it's a documentary at all. It's incredible how with such little material can such a marvelous film be made; it's a film about poverty, dignity, and identity. It's a film that reminds the viewer that he, too, is just pretending in the end.

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

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

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.

A unique film that never wallows its own cleverness; instead, it blurs the line between film and reality well.

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 but in that category. It's in an altogether other realm.

What is it about Kiarostami that i always end up finding so boring and dull? I want to like his movies but they always come off as unremarkable (despite what critics i admire claim otherwise). It's not a good thing when i find myself wishing i was listening to Jonathan Rosenbaum's commentary track instead of the actual movie. It seems like there is potential here for interesting commentary on cinematic "truth"/realism here but it never amounts to anything, and the courtroom scenes are too long.

So inventive and captivating, it's more than just a drama or documentary stylized film. It's a film that if told just as a drama or documentary would have been just alright instead of this masterpiece that it is. FFD's ideas of what Kiarostami is doing at the end too also makes it better, I never even would have considered that. Not the first Kiarostami I watched, but I'm proud to have it the first one I'm ranking.

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.

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Sabzian gives a very good performance (or "performance") in the lead role. He's quite touching.

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.

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.

The first of a long and ongoing sequence of truly great films from Kiarostami. On second thought, this could change, given that I have seen neither "Where is the Friend's Home?" nor "Homework."

An incredibly novel premise: a semi-documentary, including reenactments by all the people involved, of the story of a man who impersonates director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. It's funny and touching and thoroughly engaging. It touches on identity, class, and cinema. When the microphone starts to cut out at the end, I wondered if it was Kiarostami's way of telling us that he, too, was only pretending at being a director, and the facade was breaking down.

One of my alltime favorite films

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.

Fascinating. Sabzian's scenes in the courtroom are depressing because of how unable he is to articulate why he did what he did, and the film works on numerous levels without ever feeling confusing. The end scene is brilliant.

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