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Juliette Binoche delivers some of her best work as Elle, a taxed and bothered mother who, in the film’s opening sequence, is trying to take in a lecture by an author (William Shimell) discussing his new book. The two eventually wind up taking a little trip together, where their conversation starts off quite ordinary, but slowly moves to new and extraordinary places. Writer-director Abbas Kiarostami has put together a movie with intelligence, major surprises and the incredible presence of Binoche, who speaks three languages in the film. Shimell, a man with limited acting experience, is stellar and matches Binoche every step of the way. After watching this film, you know you’ve seen something special.