To See or Not to See: Call Me by Your Name

Call Me by Your Name is, simply put, a beautiful film in every way.

American graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) has been invited for the summer to work with Professor Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg) on his classical archeology research in Northern Italy in the early 1980s. The Perlman family spends their summers at their countryside Italian home (Perlman’s wife is Italian) and whomever the Professor’s annual assistant is comes to live with them there for six weeks. Elio (Timothée Chalamet), the Perlman’s only child, is on the cusp of adulthood at seventeen; he spends a majority of his time with friends from the town, including Marzia (Esther Garrel), an occasional lover. When Oliver arrives (bounding into the Perlman’s house like a bronzed Greek god), Elio’s world is turned upside down as Oliver and Elio are drawn to each other and, ultimately, fall in love. But, like real life, not all romances last.

The chemistry between Hammer and Chalamet practically jumps off the screen. Both actors do a sublime job of showing the instant and intense connection that Oliver and Elio feel. In particular, Chalamet is superb. He plays Elio’s quiet, observant character with a delicacy and nuance that are beyond his years. It is easy to feel exactly what Elio is feeling, experiencing, and grappling with. When he first kisses Oliver, we are elated. When he must say good-bye, we are devastated. It is impossible to think of any other actor portraying Elio.

James Ivory has adapted Call Me by Your Name from the novel by André Aciman quite wonderfully and director Luca Guadagnino translated Ivory’s screenplay to film exquisitely. The lush Italian setting is enough to keep your attention; every sunny summer day entices you and visually mirrors the lust and romance playing out between Oliver and Elio.

In short, Call Me by Your Name is a visually stunning, emotional film that is, so far, one of the year’s bests.

 

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 4

 

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Classics