Love is beautiful. Love is heartbreaking. Love is passionate. Love is life.
Most importantly, love should know no boundaries.
Call Me By Your Name is a beautiful love story that perfectly captures the passion and heartbreak of that emotion that drives us all. The fact that the love story is between two men makes it all the more powerful. It doesn’t hold back on any small detail, dropping the audience into the middle of a burgeoning romance that is always believable. The film’s deliberate pace does wear on the viewer, but overall this is an emotionally honest and powerful portrayal of a beautiful love affair.
“Call Me By Your Name and I’ll Call You By Mine.”
It is the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy. Graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) has come to live with Mr. Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg), an archaeology professor, and his family. The cocky American soon catches the eye of Perlman’s seventeen year old son Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and the two initially dance around their mutual attraction. Eventually, their feelings get the best of them and they embark on a passionate love affair.
There are no unexpected turns in Call Me By Your Name. At its heart, it is a simple story of two people in love. But make no mistake, there is beauty in its simplicity. This film is a look into the bloom of a relationship, the tantalizing beginnings, the heights when they two come together, and the heartbreaking ends. That said, there are no overwrought declarations of love or corny dialogue. The characters never say anything that feels inauthentic. Director Luca Guadagnino takes a script based on Andre Aciman’s book of the same name and holds nothing back as he shows the realistic progression of two men’s relationship. We see every moment.
That’s not to say that the film doesn’t have cinematic moments. Guadagnino and cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom utilize the beautiful Italian locations perfectly, but also know when to bring the camera in close or have it stand back. There is a subtle moment where Elio finally reveals his feelings to Oliver shot around a World War I monument that is amazing in its simplicity. The film utilizes the monument simply but in a way that uses the space between Elio and Oliver in that moment in a brilliant way. Watch the scene for yourself…I don’t want to spoil it here and a description can never do it justice. It truly is a piece of cinematic beauty.
Music is also utilized well. For most of the film, the soundtrack is sparse if present at all. The quiet gives the film a sense of realism, but also makes the music stand out when it does swell. Sufjan Stevens’ songs are used perfectly in this way.
A love story would not be anything without a pair of great leads, and both Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer are amazing in their roles. Chalamet’s Elio is probably one of the more charming but realistic teenagers in any film concerning romance. He is smart, slightly wise beyond his years, but he is still always portrayed as young. He doesn’t know everything and he struggles, like anyone that age. He speaks volumes in his quiet moments, his expressive face reflecting every joy and heartbreak. You root for him and his desire to simply love someone.
Hammer’s Oliver is a walking embodiment of charming cockiness and his performance is quite frankly Oscar worthy. He turns a character who sometimes comes off as aloof and makes him real and sympathetic. Like Elio, Oliver’s charm is complimented by Hammer’s work during those quiet moments.
When the two come together, they compliment each other perfectly. The confident, worldly Oliver and the youthful but passionate Elio are equals in almost every way. This is also an empowering relationship, as we see two gay men come together in a realistic, but uplifting way. The two act on a natural and noble emotion: Love. There should be no boundaries with this all important emotion. Their simple pursuit is an act of revolution, and what is more noble than that?
The rest of the cast is solid, but the always reliable (And busiest character actor of 2017) Michael Stuhlbarg should be singled out. As Elio’s father, Stuhlbarg brings a realistic understanding and unconditional love to the character. He has a powerful scene late in the film that is both heartbreaking and utterly uplifting. Coupled with Amira Casar as Elio’s mother, the two form an excellent support for young Elio.
Issues and Too Much of A Good Thing
Much has been made about the difference in age between Elio and Oliver. Some have said that it is inappropriate since Elio is seventeen and Oliver is a twenty something man. Yet, this criticism points to a homophobia…would the same complaint be present if Elio was female? Honestly, I think the film would not have the same complaint if this were true.
And Call Me By Your Name has Oliver say he doesnt want to force Elio into anything he doesn’t want to do. The film does a good job of incorporating this sentiment in a realistic way. It feels natural and is something that people in this situation would discuss.
As beautiful as the film is, the deliberate pace does begin to wear on you. This is especially true during the second act. Because this is an unflinching look at the entire love affair, there is very little left to the imagination. Some…not all moments…feel extraneous. There are times when you wish the story would just move on.
There is also a relationship between Elio and Marzia (Esther Garrell), a young teenager that feels a little thin. Marzia is something of an empty shell throughout the film. Oliver also has some sort of relationship with another girl, but very little screen time is dedicated to it. The film would not have suffered if these subplots were not there.
Love In Its Purest Form
Call Me By Your Name accomplishes a rare thing. When we think of uplifting love stories, sometimes we think of the more overwrought romantic movies, like a Titanic. But this film manages to take a realistic look at love that pulls no punches and still manage to make it uplifting. In a world that constantly puts up barriers due to irrational hatred or illogical social norms, the simple act of loving another is the most important thing we can do.
This is love at its most pure.
SCORE: 9.5 OUT OF 10