A Thoughtful, Peaceful Slice of Bittersweet Romance... But Not a Terribly Active One

Rating: 4/10 (10 March 2018)

A smart, talented Italian boy coasts through the summer of 1983, struggling with conflicted romantic feelings, an uncertain personal identity and various social taboos. Beautifully shot, evocative of a lazy, lovestruck summer month in the gorgeous Italian countryside, it's a thoughtful, peaceful slice of bittersweet romance if not a terribly active one. Strangely edited, we'll cut away in the middle of a conversation but linger for long stretches of scenery and minor character actions. That does effectively convey the boy's listlessness, his adolescent ennui within a magnificent family estate, but it also leads to major pacing problems. Though it runs just over two hours, I caught myself glancing at the clock after one. Our two leads, Elio (the boy) and Oliver (the intern), share the flicker of chemistry, but initially flirt with so much nuance and subtext that I thought I'd missed something when it came time for their inevitable heart-to-heart. The climax is excellent, with a charged, open-hearted monologue from Elio's father and an unforgettable close-up during the credits, but by that point I was more than ready to check out. Long, tedious, occasionally rewarding and very, very art house.