1. Close-Up
The most current film on the list is perhaps the most daring. Abbas Kiarostami is a fan of bending the rules of film making. Take for example his 2010 film, "Certified Copy", in which in the middle of the film, the film takes an unexpected twist. The feature that made the film world take note of his talent was his 1990 pseudo-documentary, "Close-Up". The film is about a man who poses as the famous Iranian director, Mohsen Makhmalbef, for unknown reasons and tricks a family into believing his ruse. That is where the intrigue of the film comes in. There must be a motive for him to take on this persona and that is what Kiarostami tries to explore. The reason why I refer to it as a pseudo-documentary is because it bends what is actually being documented and reenactments involving the actual character. But, Kiarostami himself, actually plays a big hand at the event unfolding, even being allowed to ask questions at the trial that eventually occurs between Sabzien, the man who posed as Makhmalbef, and the family he tricked. To fully describe the film gives it injustice. It is an interesting structure and portrait of a man's psyche as only Kiarostami can do. Every person reacts differently to this Rorschach Test of film, and with each different interpretation the better it is. Plus, then you can tell your friends that you have watched contemporary Iranian cinema that wasn't "A Seperation". Click "next" below for our conclusion to this article;