(*Minor spoilers ahead!)
I finally sat down to watch the movie that many of my friends have been raving about since its release: Call Me By Your Name. Any expectations that I had going into it were completely surpassed – watching this film felt like a privilege; it was a work of art from start to finish, and I would classify it as a cinematic masterpiece. It sounds like I’m merely promoting it because I enjoyed it, but Call Me By Your Name is unlike any movie – romance or otherwise – that I’ve ever seen, even in terms of cinematography.
Italy in the summer of 1983 spells out a lazy, mindless few weeks for American teenager Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), who is staying in his family house with his parents. Elio’s father, a professor of archaeology, is going to be housing a graduate intern, Oliver (Armie Hammer), for six weeks – much to Elio’s disinterest. Elio spends his days reading, writing, playing music, and lounging around the neighborhood with other local teens. However, Elio quickly develops a distaste for Oliver, who is outgoing, extroverted, and seemingly the opposite of Elio. This dislike transforms over the summer, as Elio becomes Oliver’s designated tour guide. Viewers will watch their relationship blossom, and feel as though they themselves are falling in love.
Director Luca Guadagnino activates the viewers’ five senses, making them feel as if they, too, were spending the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy. Sounds are amplified, such as birds chirping, footsteps on gravel, bicycle chains clinking, breathing, laughing, floorboards creaking, and cicadas chirping – all of which add to the effect of the viewer being presently placed into the scene.
The soundtrack and juxtaposition of the scenes create a beautiful collage for viewers; gentle piano accompanying countless scenes of orchards, fields, and sneaking around at dusk pieces together an aesthetic as airy and innocent as falling in love during the summer.
This is a story that makes you want to fall in love. What unfolds between Elio and Oliver is a slow burn; this movie has many lingering glances and subtle touches, bordering on sweet and sensual. The build up is so wonderfully torturous that when they finally kiss, the electricity is practically tangible, as if everything they had been holding back was finally free.
Guadagnino brilliantly executes the balance between the use of dialogue and actions that speak for themselves; there are scenes where not a single word is spoken, and yet everything – every thought, every emotion – is conveyed perfectly. It is heart-wrenching, intimate, and acutely touching – and now claims the title as my favorite film.