Like Someone in Love

If you’re familiar with Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s work, you know his films often have the barest of plots. Like Someone in Love is no exception, and it might be his most meandering film yet. In Tokyo, Akiko (Rin Takanashi) is a university student moonlighting as a call girl. Her pimp sends her to a retired sociology professor who would rather talk paintings and regional soup then get down to business. When the professor drops her off at school the next day, he’s confronted by Akiko’s hot-headed fiance, who confuses him with her grandfather and asks him for permission to marry her. None of this really matters; Kiarostami is not interested in advancing stories as much as he’s interested in watching people try to relate to each other, no matter how tedious it becomes. You’ll have checked out long before this film comes to an abrupt end.