The utmost form of love, and the pain that allows us to grow

Rating: 8/10 (13 January 2018)

Call me by your name takes place in Rome one summer when a 17 year old adolescent played by Timothée Chalamet is transfigured by a bond with a college-grad played by Armie Hammer in a somewhat forbidden but beautiful relationship. Call me by your name is about the tenderness of first love, the depth and long lasting marks that love leaves you with and the utmost form of desire and ownership to be one with another. This was a brilliant film that takes its time to slowly burn through the summer in Rome but to harshly cut to the departure and ending, as out of nowhere as the beginning. A transcending dream like state as viewers follow Elio through his summer.
Indeed, As an audience you often don't appreciate as much until it is gone towards the very end. This film captures that state and creates an euphoric and erotic journey about identity and love. Call me by your name was wonderfully embodied and captured by the two leads, Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet. First of all, Armie Hammer portrays his character of Oliver to a level of brilliance and perfection, smoothly and mesmerizingly slipping from the firm, boisterous character in public to the tender, thoughtful character in his privacy. Whereas Timothée Chalamet perfectly blends shy and defenceless with a sense of taking charge and trying to seem more 'grown up' or more 'mature'. Both of these performances were definitely what makes the film such a great watch, adhering to the cinematic trope of 'show don't tell' as a matter of fact, the acting work was transpired ever so brilliantly with the simple dilation of the eye and slightly awkward movements.
Call me by your name at its core is about conflict and confusion, specifically those in one's tender age of adolescent. The lack of identity is a great theme that call me by your name wonderfully discusses. This can be seen through out by the deliberate contrast made in the artistic choices, from larger symbolic contrasts like Elio's logic sensibility in contrast to the irrational, sensual and illogical love and relationship that he forms with Oliver; and the seemingly logical, wise and systematic parents of Elio to the relationship of the leads. Down to details such as the pattern of Elio's shirt, with faces representing the many identities, and therefore lack f identity in the character.
But, also at the center of this film is the love between Elio and Oliver most symbolically represented by the title of the film: Call my by your name, an action referred to in several points of the movie. A quote seemingly the utter opposite of self identification is the core of the film, the idea of which the largest extent of love is the complete segregation from 'I' and the transition to 'us' an almost ironically tragic idea to present to Elio considering his own lack of identity.
In fact, as the film does illustrate to the very end this sense of confusion and pain and tragedy that befalls him is in fact the utmost importance in his journey to maturity. An overall message so wonderfully delivered directly through Michael Stuhlbarg riveting monologue in the final act of the film. He says: "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!" A chilling and riveting message to the audience, of the value in hurt and the importance of pain. So, call me by your name can certainly be considered a sad, tragic, heartbreaking film. But in fact, the message that comes through is that the pain is what allows us to grow.