A truly tough film to rate

Rating: 7/10 (28 February 2018)

"Call Me by Your Name" is what it is, and I don't mean that in a flippant or condescending way. It's just that it is a very low-key, deliberately slow-paced character study with one killer, incredibly well-written--and likely unforgettable--monologue at one point. It undeniably, effectively depicts a brief period in two lifetimes that will never be forgotten by the two main characters. But for some reason I felt detached and a bit put off by being a part of it. I should mention I'm a huge fan of James Ivory's (and his two partners') past films, my favorites being "A Room With a View" and "Maurice." "Call Me..." has the same meticulous location detail and atmosphere of those films, but the characters here feel under-developed and almost one-dimensional, which surprised the heck out of me considering the past films he's been a part of (I realize he was the screenwriter here, and not the director, by the way). But I have to give it credit for simply and effectively portraying two young/youngish men as they are brought together in idyllic, lovely surroundings and left to discover each other because they have so much free time to do so. What they discover is portrayed as very special because they are both good people, but that killer monologue I mentioned earlier left me feeling conflicted as to just how special it truly was, and whether the character delivering it was sincere or just trying to be a part of needed healing and giving perspective to this moment in life for someone he cared about deeply. I will say I was left thinking about the film as I left, if feeling unsatisfied and confused by it, so I guess I can at the very least say it wasn't a throwaway film or moviegoing experience.