Imagine a sun-drenched day in northern Italy. It’s the ‘80s, orchards are filled with lush fruit trees and each gravel road is lined with endless fields of green grasses. This is the place those watching _Call Me by Your Name_ are immediately transported to the moment the film begins. It is the beginning of a beautiful, emotional journey that is not for the faint of heart.
_Call Me by Your Name_ follows Elio (Timothée Chalamet), a spry 17-year-old living with his family in their vacation home for the summer. A talented musician, he is presented to the audience as a complicated, young performer who is struggling with his sexuality. His father (Michael Stuhlbarg) works as an archaeologist, and each summer a new intern comes to live with them. The lucky candidate at the opening of the film is an intelligent 24-year-old man named Oliver (Armie Hammer).
Elio and Oliver spend the summer getting to know each other. They ride bikes into town, swim in the river and debate philosophical topics every chance they get. However, there is underlying sexual tension. Whether it be stolen glances or playful touches, the two send nonverbal signals of affection.
Their thoughts lead to action when they finally reveal their true feelings for each other. As the summer nears an end, the two share their time in a blissful daze of nights spent together and spontaneous travel. Just as quickly as they seem to fall in love, their time together expires.
Elio is left behind by Oliver at the end of the film, and he feels empty and hurt. Isolated in his home, he turns to his father for words of healing. This prompts his dad to deliver an overwhelmingly emotional monologue in an attempt to comfort his grieving son.
“Just remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once,” he says. “And before you know it, your heart is worn out, and, as for your body, there comes a point when no one looks at it, much less wants to come near it. Right now, there’s sorrow, pain. Don’t kill it and with it the joy you’ve felt.”
I appreciated the film for many reasons, but one of the biggest was the stunning cinematography. There are shots of rolling fields and pristine rivers that flow through the countryside. Contrastingly, we also see dark nightlife settings where teens dance to electric ‘80s music.
The acting is also impeccable. Each actor dedicated to the role with intensity and skill. Elio passionately plays piano for all of the guests who visit his home and calmly composes music near the pool on hot summer afternoons. Oliver playfully chats with Elio over breakfasts of apricot juice and soft-boiled eggs. It is the genuine portrayal of small, everyday tasks that makes the story so believable and honest.
If there is a single point that this film drives home, it is the simple truth that everyone feels love the same way. It is simple and inexplicable. The pain that is shared cuts to the core of both men. Oliver leaves with the hurt of knowing he has abandoned a person who loved him, and Elio has to cope with the knowledge that he has lost the love of his life. The love that the two share is imperfect and raw, and that is what makes it so relatable.
I recommend _Call Me by Your Name_ to anyone who wants to see a beautiful work of art pan out before their eyes. It is a dazzling story of every sort of love, whether it be romantic, familial or friendly. It provides comfort and healing to those who need it and a riveting cinematic experience to others. There is something for everyone, and it promises to leave anyone who watches it speechless.
_Edited by Claire Colby | ccolby@themaneater.com_