100

"We'd like to film this trial. Is that all right with you?"

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

I was swept away in pure cinematic immersion watching this. The dialogue, especially in the courtroom, is so rich and captivating.

Even if it's impossible to catch all the introspective meta-commentary on art and film in a single viewing, it's remarkable that Kiarostami is able to evoke such complexity and depth from a relatively simple real-life event. The mark of a true artist.

Definitely hoping to catch more of Kiarostami's work soon. A downright fascinating piece of cinema.

Close-Up is pretty damn flawless. It is a minimalistic yet nothing short of unique, humanistic, sad and layered work of empathy, understanding, a film about film, art and how it affects us, about wanting to be someone you're not. It is a film difficult to describe and classify, but what Kiarostami achieves by subverting genre in his storytelling is remarkable. Sabzian's film obsession is very relatable, his little speeches in the court room gets to me. And what a beautiful, beautiful ending with the most gorgeous piece of music, can't really get better than that. That last freeze-frame. Magic. Masterpiece. How was this even made?

I feel like Kiarostami operates on a different level when it comes to emotional intelligence. Which is probably why all of his films are so human and relatable even if the content in the film are so outlandish.
Like Someone In Love is still the best though.

دیروز دوستی از ملاقاتش با هانکه می‌گفت‫. علی‌الظاهر شور و اشتیاقِ هانکه در تمجید از کلوزآپ وصف‌ناشدنی بوده است. جری شدم که یک بار از دیدِ آدمی چونان هانکه فیلم را ببینم. عجب فیلمِ مریضی بود و نمی‌دانستم. نه یک واقعیتِ مریض و مسخره چونان سبزیان، بل مرضِ واقعی‌ای چونان خودِ کلوزآپ.

پیش‌ترها در بابِ «حمله به واقعیت» در «ماجرای نیمروز» مهدویان نوشته بودم. اکنون ‫به گمانم ریشه‌اش را باید در «مرضِ واقعیتِ» کلوزآپ جست.

I've had this criterion for some time now. I have a bad habit of collecting and not keeping up. I've been trying to knock out as many of the films from my criterion catalogue for a while now. I picked this up the other night reluctantly because it was super late and I was probably not in the right frame of mind to start this. All that being said I was so glued to this movie and story from start to finish. Such a great character study. And just knowing how this whole thing was shot is captivating and extraordinary to me.

Held off on writing anything after finishing this, because I couldn't find the right words.

Still kind of can't.

Oh well. Fascinating and bizarre. If it weren't for its reputation, I never would have expected to have had such a strong reaction to it.

Unlike anything I've ever seen before.

I forgot how much texture this film has, on top of its nearly bottomless grab-bag of ideas. Utterly brilliant.

Whenever I feel depressed or overwhelmed, I feel the urge to shout to the world the anguish of my soul, the torment I’ve experienced, all my sorrows—but no one wants to hear about them. Then a good man comes along who portrays all my sufferings in his films, and I can go see them over and over again. They show the evil faces of those who play with the lives of others, the rich who pay no attention to the simple material needs of the poor. That’s why I felt compelled to take solace in that screenplay. I read it and it brings calm to to my heart. It says the things I wish I could express.

When Sabzian finally met Makhmalbaf and just broke down...wow. Sabzian’s testimony recorded (re-enacted?) on film as a love letter to film expressing the transformative and healing power film is capable of having? Go off.

king of putting down social classes

"I've never seen my life in focus. It's always been a blurred image."

articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/09/entertainment/la-et-second-20100609