James Miller (William Shimell) is in Tuscany to do a reading of his latest book where he praises copies in art over the need for originality in most people's minds. A French antiques dealer (Juliette Binoche) comes to the reading with her son but he forces her to leave early. He later tracks her down and she drives him around the countryside without a destination. A café owner mistakes them for a married couple. Then the question arises whether it's actually true.Juliette Binoche is dressed down but is as alluring as ever. The first half is aimless wandering and can get meandering but Binoche is always fascinating. Shimell is great at being the cool academic. Binoche takes a big turn and he's able to follow her. There are logic questions about why the son doesn't seem to know James if they're actually married. Of course, it could simply point to them play acting although they are so emotional and specific in their conversation. It's a really fascinating turn. I wish it comes sooner and reveals more about their relationship.

Pretentious drivel. From the dark weird beginning of her art crammed "shop", which he has to beg her to leave and go outside for their meeting, inside was suffocating. She harangues him mercilessly as they drive... walk, talk, spar.. I kept waiting for some enlightenment. If you want to believe that love is fleeting, that two people can never communicate - this may appear meaningful. I found it tedious, with a few tender, even wise, moments; but mostly sparring and ridiculous. And I really like both the actors, especially Binoche; and who doesn't like to have glimpses of Tuscany. I should have watched this with the sound and captions off.

Iranian screenwriter, producer, film editor and director Abbas Kiarostami's thirteenth feature film which he wrote and co-produced with Romanian-born French producer and director Marin Karmitz, producer Angelo Barbagalla, producer Charles Gillibert and producer Nathanaël Karmitz, was shot on location in Tuscany, Italy and is a French-Italy-Belgium co-production which premiered In competition at the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival in 2010. It tells the story about James Hiller, an English writer who is presenting his latest book about the concept of originality in Tuscany, Italy. At this presentation is Elle, a French resident who lives there with her adolescent son. Elle is interested in talking with the Englishman about his book and towards the end of the presentation, she gives her number to his friend. Later that Sunday, James shows up at her antique shop and they embark on a walk in the streets of Tuscany. James and Elle talks about their views on life and as their conversation evolves, they begin to pretend that they are a husband and a wife who has been married for fifteen years.Finely and acutely directed by Iranian New Wave filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, this quietly paced and humane fictional tale which is the director's first feature film to be produced and filmed outside Iran, draws an incisive and compelling portrayal of a meaningful conversation between a writer and a single mother on a warm and bright Sunday in Tuscany. While notable for it's naturalistic and atmospheric urban milieu depictions and the fine cinematography by Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, this character-driven and dialog-driven comedy-drama depicts two condensed studies of character.This humorous, romantic and existentialistic story about the importance of interpersonal relations, is impelled and reinforced by it's quick-witted dialog, cogent narrative structure and the fine acting performances by French actress Juliette Binoche and British opera singer William Shimell in his debut feature film role. An empathic and charming character piece which gained, among other awards, the award for Best Actress Juliette Binoche at the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival in 2010 and the SFFCC Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 10th San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards in 2011.

While the movie poses a few interesting questions along the way (the one alluded to by the title being one of them), it overpowered me with its sheer contempt for the rational. I believe that if the movie made sense, all of a sudden it wouldn't be considered "good" by its admirers. Open-endedness can be a powerful artistic tool in skilled hands, but this movie is open wide from one end to the other. Married? Lovers? Kinky sadists? Divorced? Make up your own story because the director is not. Nor does he give you consistent material to work with, you'll need to do some heavy editing if you want your story to hold water. Exhausting.