‘Call me by your name’ is a movie that makes you nostalgic, amazes you, teaches you, breaks your heart and soothes you all at the same time. With its sun-drenched landscapes, lingering silences and an aching romance, it transforms a simple coming of age story into something deeply artistic and meaningful. It won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay, the screenwriter being James Ivory and is considered one of the finest masterpieces of cinema. I didn’t watch it until now because I never expected it to be that good.
It is based on Andre Aciman’s 2007 novel of the same name. Its screenplay was written by James Ivory and was directed by Luca Guadagnino. The 17 year old Elio Perlman (Timothee Chalamet) lives with his parents in Italy. The 24 year old Oliver (Armie Hammer) is his father’s student assistant who they have invited to stay over the summer.
Most of the romance movies I have watched lately turned out to be either too predictable or banal. Except a few films, I don’t think any of the romance films capture the idea of romance as beautifully as this one does. ‘Call me by your name’ is what every romance film should aspire to be.
The best part of the film is the absence of overt sexual scenes or nudity and it was a deliberate choice. Guadagnino explained his intention behind the exclusion of such scenes: “I wanted the audience to completely rely on the emotional travel of these people and feel first love… It was important to me to create this powerful universality, because the whole idea of the movie is that the other person makes you beautiful—enlightens you, elevates you.”
Because the film does not rely on sexually intimate scenes, it has to shift its focus on the emotional intimacy between the characters. Elio is an awkward, shy teenager who is too embarrassed of his own abundant sexual nature. Oliver, on the other hand, is confident and charming young man who seems to be sure of himself.
“I Like The Way You Say Things. I Don’t Know Why You’re Always Putting Yourself Down, Though.”
Still, both of them find themselves falling for each other utterly and completely, finding pure joy in one another. Chalamet and Hammer’s chemistry is amazing on the screen.
“Call Me By Your Name And I’ll Call You By Mine.”
Oliver eventually leaves Elio. Some time later, he calls at his home to let them know he is getting married soon. Does this mean that their romance ended in tragedy? Or did Oliver just make a practical choice given the circumstances and limitations around their sexual orientation at that point of time?
I don’t think this film is tragic or about heartbreak. I think it’s about love, the beauty of it, the joy in it, the awkwardness of it and the pangs of love. The scene where Oliver talks to Elio on the phone is quite powerful. They call each other by their own names.
“I Remember Everything.”
Afterwards, Elio sits by the fire tearfully staring into the flames, while his family prepares and calls him to come to dinner.
The film also heavily relied on visuals to create the tension between the characters. From the orchard where they first kiss to the crockery used in the Perlman house, every detail was meticulously chosen. The main location, Crema was where the director lived and he specifically chose that location to pay a tribute to the place he loved so much.
The movie took certain liberties with the book, however. For example, it is set in 1983 instead of the year 1987 as in the book. The book is told from Elio’s perspective in flashback. The movie version did not take that approach. But it did brilliantly in portraying the wisdom and hindsight that Elio has in the book when looking 20 years back into his past.
Another amazing thing about this movie is Elio’s parents. They are progressive, supportive and completely non-judgemental. They are aware of the nature of their son’s relationship with Oliver and even arrange for them to take a trip together before Oliver leaves. When Oliver departs, Elio calls his mom to pick him up from the train station because he knows his heart is broken and she is his safe space.
“From the way your dad spoke to me. He made me feel like I was a part of the family, almost like a son-in-law. You’re so lucky. My father would have carted me off to a correctional facility.”
The scene where his father is giving him advice on heartbreak and life is one of the most beautiful scenes of cinema.
“We Rip Out So Much Of Ourselves To Be Cured Of Things Faster Than We Should That We Go Bankrupt By The Age Of 30 And Have Less To Offer Each Time We Start With Someone New.”
Elio’s parents are model parents. The kind of parents every child needs especially when they going through teenage and puberty.
Despite Elio’s heartbreak, the age gap discussions and the fact that Oliver left and married a woman, it is still a deeply romantic story. It is clear they are in love and anyone who watches the film can feel that.
After I finished the movie, I found out the book has a sequel called ‘Find Me’. So of course I had to know if they ever ended up together or not. It turns out they did. I only read a brief summary so I don’t know how it actually happened but I do know that a significant portion of the book focuses on his father and a relationship he had when he was young like Elio. So obviously the book is going to my TBR list.
Now let’s hear from you. How did this movie make you feel? What are your thoughts on it? Share with us in the comments down below.
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