Overview
A captivating exploration of identity and deception in the world of cinema.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- understated
- compassionate
- reflective
- serious film discussion
- arthouse viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an eloquent, formally radical docufiction whose restrained cinema-verite style reveals both an individual's psyche and Iran's social reality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The people involved in the case reenact their experiences, followed by footage from the actual trial.
Sabzian impersonates filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf because filmmaking offers him a desired social identity and imagined dignity.
The actual trial becomes a central source of testimony and observation rather than merely a plot event.
The radically drab cinema-verite style deliberately blurs the difference between reconstructed scenes and recorded reality.
Films like Close-Up, and why
The Act of Killing
shared docufiction form, blurred boundary between performance and reality, and humane social observation
The Arbor
shared reconstruction of lived events, self-reflexive filmmaking, and emotionally complex examination of identity
The Thin Blue Line
shared trial-film structure, documentary realism, and intimate attention to marginalized individuals
Movie Details
- Director
- Abbas Kiarostami
- Release Date
- 1990-05-09
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (464)
Cast
- Hossain Sabzian
- Monoochehr Ahankhah
- Mahrokh Ahankhah
- Abolfazl Ahankhah
- Mehrdad Ahankhah
- Nayer Mohseni Zonoozi
- Hossain Farazmand
- Ahmad Reza Moayed Mohseni
- Hooshang Shamaei
- Mohammad Ali Barrati
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Close-Up about?
- A struggling film devotee’s impersonation of a famous director becomes a quietly radical inquiry into truth, class, and the human need to be seen.
- What is Close-Up like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Close-Up as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Close-Up violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Close-Up.
- What did critics think of Close-Up?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an eloquent, formally radical docufiction whose restrained cinema-verite style reveals both an individual's psyche and Iran's social reality.
- Which films are like Close-Up?
- Films with a similar feel include The Act of Killing, The Arbor, and The Thin Blue Line.
- How long is Close-Up?
- Close-Up runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Close-Up?
- In United States, Close-Up is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
