The joy and pain of love and desire

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2018)

Saw 'Call Me By Your Name' as someone trying to see as many films from 2017 as possible, because same sex love has been portrayed beautifully more than once and because it was one of the best received films of the year with a lot of award attention as we speak.
A distinction more than well deserved. 'Call Me By Your Name' is certainly one of my favourites of a pretty hit and miss 2017 (with some great films, bad films and films in between and near but not quite both extremes) and, like another gay love-themed film from 2017 'God's Own Country', one of the films of the year that really touched me. It is much more than just a "gay movie" and shouldn't be dismissed as just that, that on the most part it hasn't is a good thing.
'Call Me By Your Name' is most striking for its emotional impact. The erotic elements are tasteful and sensual, but it's the relationships that are even more beautifully done. The subject matter is handled with subtlety and surprising wit and the central relationship is tender and compassionate with a little tension. Just as, even more, impressive is the father and son relationship, which was sincere and touching, again with just as much burning intensity, and boasted the film's most powerful scene. The joy and pain of love and desire is portrayed in a way that really touched my soul and comes over as surprisingly relatable.
The acting is another big strength, advantaged by that the characters are interesting and not stereotypical with conflicts that are genuine and not predictable. Timothee Chalamet is especially remarkable and has a great future ahead of him if he continues in this direction. Armie Hammer is hardly inferior in perhaps his best performance to date, a very sympathetic performance which helps make the central relationship as powerful as it is. Michael Stuhlbarg also should be highlighted, a very wise and sincere performance and he has never been this poignant.
Luca Guadagnino directs beautifully, bringing the best out of his actors and the gorgeous scenery just as gorgeously shot. The sincerity, wisdom, compassion and wit of the source material is ideally captured in the script and as indicated the film looks great. The music has whimsy and understatement which suits the story perfectly, and while the pace is Merchant/Ivory-influenced-like deliberate it never felt dull to me due to being swept up in the emotion and being riveted by the writing and performances.
In conclusion, a beautiful film with much more to it than what it can easily be dismissed as. 10/10 Bethany Cox