Close-Up

May 9, 1990

1h 38m

★ 7.9

A real-life situation based on a real incident in actual locations with actual people involved

Overview

This fiction-documentary hybrid uses a sensational real-life event—the arrest of a young man on charges that he fraudulently impersonated the well-known filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf—as the basis for a stunning, multilayered investigation into movies, identity, artistic creation, and existence, in which the real people from the case play themselves.

Genres

Crime

Drama

Production Companies

Kanoon

Close-Up Trailers

Cast

Self

Hossain Sabzian

Self

Monoochehr Ahankhah

Self

Mahrokh Ahankhah

Self

Abolfazl Ahankhah

Self

Mehrdad Ahankhah

Self

Nayer Mohseni Zonoozi

Reporter

Hossain Farazmand

Family Friend

Ahmad Reza Moayed Mohseni

Taxi Driver

Hooshang Shamaei

Soldier

Mohammad Ali Barrati

Sergeant

Davood Goodarzi

Judge

Haj Ali Reza Ahmadi

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.

7.1

Beau Travail

May 3, 2000

Foreign Legion officer Galoup recalls his once glorious life, training troops in the Gulf of Djibouti. His existence there was happy, strict and regimented, until the arrival of a promising young recruit, Sentain, plants the seeds of jealousy in Galoup's mind.

7.3

Ten

May 20, 2002

A visual social examination in the form of ten conversations between a driving woman and her various pick-ups and hitchhikers.

8.0

Ugetsu

Mar 26, 1953

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

8.3

A Brighter Summer Day

Jul 27, 1991

A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.

5.2

Bliss

May 10, 2017

After she gets into a film-production accident that leaves her crippled, successful actress Jane Ciego slowly transitions into madness after experiencing horrors and torture in her own home.

7.4

Tell Me Who I Am

Oct 18, 2019

In this documentary, Alex trusts his twin, Marcus, to tell him about his past after he loses his memory. But Marcus is hiding a dark family secret.

7.2

Man Bites Dog

Aug 20, 1992

The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team, who eventually become his accomplices and active participants. Ben provides casual commentary on the nature of his work and arbitrary musings on topics of interest to him, such as music or the conditions of low-income housing, and even goes so far as to introduce the documentary crew to his family. But their reckless indulgences soon get the better of them.

8.0

Chungking Express

Jul 14, 1994

Two melancholic Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a mysterious underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal server at a late-night restaurant.

7.6

Secrets & Lies

May 24, 1996

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.

8.4

Cinema Paradiso

Nov 17, 1988

A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist.

7.7

Fallen Angels

Sep 6, 1995

An assassin goes through obstacles as he attempts to escape his violent lifestyle despite the opposition of his partner, who is secretly attracted to him.

7.1

The American Friend

Jun 24, 1977

Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. When Ripley is asked by gangster Raoul Minot to kill a rival, he suggests Zimmerman, and the two, exploiting Zimmerman's terminal illness, coerce him into being a hitman.

8.2

The Kid

Jan 21, 1921

A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.

6.3

The Freshman

Jul 20, 1990

After a film student gets his belongings stolen, he meets a mobster bearing a startling resemblance to a certain cinematic godfather. Soon, he finds himself caught up in a caper involving endangered species and fine dining.

7.9

Cries and Whispers

Dec 21, 1972

As Agnes slowly dies of cancer, her sisters are so immersed in their own psychic pains that they are unable to offer her the support she needs.

8.1

Memories of Murder

Apr 25, 2003

During the late 1980s, two detectives in a South Korean province attempt to solve the nation's first series of rape-and-murder cases.

7.2

Thief

Mar 27, 1981

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

6.9

Stardust Memories

Sep 26, 1980

While attending a retrospect of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.