Call Me By Your Name is a 2017 independent film, based on the book of the same name. The story is set in the summer of 1983 in a small town in Northern Italy. It features up and coming actor Timothée Chalamet, who plays the character of Elio Perlman; a precocious 17-year-old who spends his summer days at his family villa; Elio's skills range from playing the piano, playing the guitar and being incredibly intelligent. Soon into the story, Elio meets Oliver, played by Armie Hammer; Oliver is a doctoral student who is working as an intern for Elio's father for a 6 week period, over the summer. Amid the summer heat in Italy, Elio and Oliver discover their desire for each other and a powerful romance blooms between them; soon they realise the summer of 1983 will alter their lives forever.
The coming of age movie is really unlike any other film I've ever seen. It tells a romantic story of two men falling in love - something that is portrayed as really natural and real. Call me by your name really relays the message that regardless of gender, love is love; it is a story that the world really needs right now, a story that will always be relevant. Peter Spears, the producer of the film, has commented before that Call Me By Your Name was the film that he needed when he was younger. It is a film that is a pure celebration of love, compassion and life. A film in which two men can find the stars together and share a life-changing love, which is based on a mutual desire and understanding. It is a film which LGBT audiences can see that they too deserve a life full of love and acceptance.
Personally, I found the movie hauntingly beautiful. I was really blown away and moved by this story. It made me quite speechless and heartbroken, the only way I feel after I've really fallen in love with a story. I think this is why it is so relatable for everyone and anyone though, it tells a non-generic love story, yet it is a love story nevertheless. It's a coming of age story, or a story about bisexuality - however you interpret it, or whatever you take from it, it remains the same, that seeing these characters fall in love awakens something in everyone a feeling or a memory - everyone has fallen in love and everyone has had their heartbroken in one way or another. Chalamet and Hammer really portrayed these characters in a outstanding way - they were so incredibly perfect for the roles it's quite difficult to explain. One way to put it is that you can't even see an element of the actors in their roles - obviously how it's always meant to be - but they do truly disappear into their roles so only the characters remain.
One of the final scenes in the movie, when Mr. Pearlman speaks his monologue to Elio, is one of the most moving. The speech itself is about not trying to hide or contain your feelings, about feeling pain and allowing ourselves the time to feel the pain we do - not trying to cure ourselves before we've really had time to feel and heal. It's also about Mr. Pearlman accepting and being ok with whoever Elio wants to be. Normally these films have so much hatred and non-acceptance, one or more characters who are homophobic, so it's really up and coming and refreshing to actually have a movie where the characters are being accepted for who they are.
The soundtrack for the movie is one of the most exquisite of 2017. The songs fit in perfectly with the scenes themselves and with the setting of the film. Not only this, but Luca Guadagnino created a crafted masterpiece. The film was shot in sequence - something that is rarely done - and I think it really shows in the film. The shots are artistic, they aren't rushed and it doesn't feel like the scenes have been squished together in order to fit as much as possible into the the 2 hour run time. Instead the pace set by the director feels true to the story, it allows the viewers to see Elio and Oliver feign their feelings and gradually fall in love, without jumping straight into that element of the story.
To finish with a quote as always, I'll leave you with one from Mr. Pearlman's monologue.
"We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste"
Call Me By Your Name is currently being shown at select cinemas. It is available on DVD in the UK on 5th March 2018.
Until next time,
Alice x
Personally, I found the movie hauntingly beautiful. I was really blown away and moved by this story. It made me quite speechless and heartbroken, the only way I feel after I've really fallen in love with a story. I think this is why it is so relatable for everyone and anyone though, it tells a non-generic love story, yet it is a love story nevertheless. It's a coming of age story, or a story about bisexuality - however you interpret it, or whatever you take from it, it remains the same, that seeing these characters fall in love awakens something in everyone a feeling or a memory - everyone has fallen in love and everyone has had their heartbroken in one way or another. Chalamet and Hammer really portrayed these characters in a outstanding way - they were so incredibly perfect for the roles it's quite difficult to explain. One way to put it is that you can't even see an element of the actors in their roles - obviously how it's always meant to be - but they do truly disappear into their roles so only the characters remain.
One of the final scenes in the movie, when Mr. Pearlman speaks his monologue to Elio, is one of the most moving. The speech itself is about not trying to hide or contain your feelings, about feeling pain and allowing ourselves the time to feel the pain we do - not trying to cure ourselves before we've really had time to feel and heal. It's also about Mr. Pearlman accepting and being ok with whoever Elio wants to be. Normally these films have so much hatred and non-acceptance, one or more characters who are homophobic, so it's really up and coming and refreshing to actually have a movie where the characters are being accepted for who they are.
The soundtrack for the movie is one of the most exquisite of 2017. The songs fit in perfectly with the scenes themselves and with the setting of the film. Not only this, but Luca Guadagnino created a crafted masterpiece. The film was shot in sequence - something that is rarely done - and I think it really shows in the film. The shots are artistic, they aren't rushed and it doesn't feel like the scenes have been squished together in order to fit as much as possible into the the 2 hour run time. Instead the pace set by the director feels true to the story, it allows the viewers to see Elio and Oliver feign their feelings and gradually fall in love, without jumping straight into that element of the story.To finish with a quote as always, I'll leave you with one from Mr. Pearlman's monologue.
"We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste"
Call Me By Your Name is currently being shown at select cinemas. It is available on DVD in the UK on 5th March 2018.
Until next time,
Alice x
I absolutely love your blog do you have somewhere i can contact you i am a new blogger as well and i just had a few questions thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteOf course! my email address is alicemstephens97@gmail.com thank you for your lovely comment :)
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