It's almost impossible to discuss the first international production from Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami without tipping the crucial plot twist that occurs about 30 minutes in, but I'll try. This elegant duet stars Juliette Binoche and William Shimmel as a French antiques dealer and an English art scholar who spend a Sunday together on the road in scenic Tuscany. Their conversation is enigmatic, light and indirect but seemingly shot through with sharp undercurrents of yearning and hurt. Are they playing a game? Will they become lovers? Have they met before? Kiarostami explores issues of authenticity and point of view while framing the actors in mirrors and windows, suggesting that how we see things is as important as the reality of the things themselves. This movie is all talk, but the talk is hypnotic. This is a film to ponder and argue over for days. (In English and subtitled Italian and French.)
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