A Beautiful Life Lesson

Rating: 9/10 (31 October 2017)

The old-fashioned love story may appear to be lost in antiquity, but that's only because so many movies and TV series have attempted to rehash it over and over again without anything new and profound to say. What makes Call Me By Your Name an exception is its perspective of a passionate love affair that may externally be labelled as taboo, but is actually an opportunity for a young person to express their emotions explicitly and without shame. This movie captures an important life lesson about respecting time, before it disappears. This human construct imprisons a lot of people in a stupor of routine and depression, because they keep looking back and trying to relive past memories. Whilst remembering is important, and brings out the nostalgia in all of us, this movie tells us to continue living beyond that.
The general story of the movie is simple. Not many words are spoken, but the actions speak louder, and what unfolds is a complex relationship between a 17 year-old boy and an American visitor with whom he becomes infatuated. This is a gradual process, but Luca Guadagnino makes it so subtle that it can be a matter of looking for the signs. There's a lot of references to the possessions of people, the bikes, the books, the shirts and the necklaces. Symbolism plays a key part in how we see Elio's sexual development. As his parents appreciate, he is new to the world of intimacy, but his naivety also brings forth a chance for him to learn about his feelings. That is one of the key themes to take from the film - his seesaw journey through the definition of his sexuality is a common factor in most people's lives, but this film addresses that as something natural and something normal.
My favourite scene is towards the end, after Elio has been struggling to deal with his lover's absence by suffering in silence. His father consoles him, knowing full well what his time with Oliver has meant. The fact that his father accepts Elio's relationship and feelings to begin with is a great moment, giving Elio the freedom he needs to ask for his father's support. Secondly, it's his father's words that mean the most in the movie; about making the most of these short, yet ecstatic escapades before the chances wither and fade away.
Finally, I'd like to commend rising star Timothee Chalamet for his unprecedented and tender performance of Elio. Throughout, you are captured by his innocent nature, and empathise with his internal struggle. The final shot of Elio relentlessly giving in to his emotions is guaranteed to move you at the end of cinema, so much so that you will be struggling to hold in your own tears as you exit the theatre. Needless to say, 2017 has been triumphant in its host of emotional movies, what with Dunkirk, The Circle and Wind River, but Call Me By Your Name stands above them all, with its simple, yet honest, interpretation of love and the emotional consequences that inevitably follow.