Close-Up (1990)

The true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.

Director:

Abbas Kiarostami

Writer:

Abbas Kiarostami

Stars:

Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Abolfazl Ahankhah

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hossain Sabzian	...	Self
Mohsen Makhmalbaf	...	Self
Abolfazl Ahankhah	...	Self
Mehrdad Ahankhah	...	Self
Monoochehr Ahankhah	...	Self
Mahrokh Ahankhah	...	Self
Nayer Mohseni Zonoozi	...	Self
Ahmad Reza Moayed Mohseni	...	Family Friend
Hossain Farazmand	...	Reporter
Hooshang Shamaei	...	Taxi Driver
Mohammad Ali Barrati	...	Soldier
Davood Goodarzi	...	Sergeant
Haj Ali Reza Ahmadi	...	Judge
Hassan Komaili	...	Court Recorder
Davood Mohabbat	...	Court Recorder

Storyline

Pretending to be Mohsen Makhmalbaf making his next movie, Hossain Sabzian enters the home of a well-to-do family in Tehran, promising it a prominent part in his next movie. The actual people involved in the incident re-enact the actual events, followed by the footage from the actual trial that took place.

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Plot Keywords:

trial | mockumentary | impersonation | filmmaking | postmodern | 

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the final scene outside the jail when Sabzian is surprised and touched to meet the real director he had been impersonating, Mohsan Makhmalbaf, we don't hear most of their talk because (we're told) the sound equipment was faulty. In reality, Kiarostami just didn't want to leave the dialogue in, because it didn't come off well: Sabzi was genuinely moved to meet his idol and spoke from his heart, but Makhmalbaf was just repeating scripted lines, so the dialogue didn't work.

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Goofs

When Sabzian and Makhmalbaf meet, there is a bundle in Sabzian's hand. He gets on the motorbike with the bundle in his hand. Later on, during their ride on the motorbike, the bundle is not there any more.

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Crazy Credits

The film's title doesn't appear on screen until almost sixteen minutes into the film.

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Connections

Featured in Stardust Stricken - Mohsen Makhmalbaf: A Portrait (1996)

User Reviews

Kiarostami Captivates

One day on a bus, an out of work father of two is mistaken for Mohsen Makhmalbaf, a famous Iranian filmmaker. He carries through with the ruse until he gets caught, and the family takes him to court, accusing him of fraud. The story is told through layers of flashback and shifting points of view. The look of the film is just as dynamic, using all sorts of film techniques - handheld, grainy 16 mm stock, the subtle use of shifting focus, and the all important close-up.

People tend to say that Abbas Kiarostami's style is a dead-crawl pace coupled with dry documentary images, but I've found his films to be wonderfully unravelling puzzles, full of frustrations and moments of perfect understanding. At times I think the key to Kiarostami's work is to simply earn it - the film may seem hard at first, you might be lost in the story, but don't give up! If you hang in there, you'll be rewarded with an unforgettable ending, like the one here in Close-up.

Details

Official Sites:

sourehcinema

Country:

Iran

Language:

Persian Azerbaijani

Release Date:

30 October 1991 (France)

Also Known As:

Close-Up

Filming Locations:

Tehran, Iran

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,670, 2 January 2000

Gross USA:

$2,670

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kanun parvaresh fekri, Kanun parvaresh fekri

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1