Review of Call Me by Your Name (2017) by Dan H — 22 Jan 2018

A slow, long, challenging, spellbinding and captivating film. It's 1983 and 17 year old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) is living an idyllic life in the northern Italian countryside when Oliver (Armie Hammer) arrives to be an assistant to Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg).

Elio almost immediately becomes infatuated with the 30 year old and after a while the two enter into an awkward, secret, steamy relationship. Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer are electric both when alone and sharing the screen.

Michael Stuhlbarg shines as well and gets a great speech near the end of the film. I especially liked the character of Elio, who is a cool intellectual nerd (who also is a very good dancer). Luca Guadagnino expertly and beautifully directs.

The film is also VERY sexual at times (even uncomfortably so, like the apricot masturbation scene.The camera also lingers on the male body. No male nudity here except for one butt shot, we do get one quick shot of female breasts as well).

My only real complaint is that the film glorifies the relationship near the end, and I couldn't fully go there with it. Call Me By Your Name made me feel a wide range of emotions, and got me thinking about certain experiences in my life I didn't necessarily want to be reminded of (But I guess that's the sign of a good film).

It's ultimately the story of a boy's first real love and lost love. It's a bitter-sweet, truthful, melancholy, and beautiful movie and ranks as one of the best of 2017. Not for everyone, but I personally loved it.