Call Me By Your Name

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

96% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 271 reviews)

Runtime: 132 minutes

Directed by: Luca Guadagnino

Starring: Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel

From: Many different production companies

This is more than just "a gay movie."

Eat a peach.

This was another film I saw in a movie marathon on Saturday presented by AMC Theatres, and the last one I'll be discussing here. I had no familiarity with the source novel by Andre Aciman-now, I understand the novel is quite a bit more explicit. I had no idea what to expect from the film aside from the general plot of a 17 year old boy falling in love with Armie Hammer in 1983 Italy. To be more specific, the father of Elio (Timothee Chalamet) is an aracheologist and the family lives in scenic northern Italy. Hammer's character Oliver arrives as a graduate student (lol at the character being a 24 year old) and even though Elio has a pretty girlfriend, he starts developing feelings for Oliver, and considering it's Armie Hammer and the way the movie films him, even a straight guy like me can understand Elio's growing attraction.

This feels overlong at times and the characters like a privileged life (Elio does not have a summer job and you rarely see the characters with jobs do their jobs as they live in a lovely rural area outside of a rustic old town) but overall I can still say this was very good. It was a touching romance between Elio and Oliver, in a lovely world filmed quite well by cinematographer Sayom Mukdeeprom. What ups and downs Elio had during those few months, resulting in an astounding final scene for him; no wonder Chalamet received many acting nominations during awards season. Hammer was almost as good, and that is a big reason I can give this charming movie a high grade. Another actor delivers an incredible monologue in the final act.

As I alluded to, the movie does take its time in telling the story, which I usually had no problem with. The relationship between the two and how Elio acts feels all too real and natural; he's a confused young man. Music wise, I prefer the Psychedelic Furs tune to all the Sufjan Stevens songs, but the Stevens songs worked quite well in context of the film. I feel it is great a high profile movie can have “a queer romance” but anyone-irregardless of their sexual orientation-can be charmed and go through several different emotions while seeing the two leads have their summer fling.

It doesn't make me feel any differently about director Luca Guadagnino's upcoming remake of Suspiria but I presume there won't be much interference from Amazon or anyone else so it should at least be pretty, as it also has Mukdeeprom as cinematographer.