Very well made but is it that good?

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2018)

I have mixed feelings about this film. The strengths are in the performances, score, and cinematography. I felt like I wasn't watching a movie but actually watching real people being documented which is probably the intention. I haven't read the book but based on the movie alone I felt the story wasn't focused. The screenplay isn't structured and it side steps a lot of the things writers generally have rules about where to put things in a film like the inciting incident or character motivations, and this film basically doesn't aim to play by those rules, but rather make you feel like you're living with these people and experiencing their summer in Italy. Sometimes it's exciting, sometimes there's just quiet moments and it's all very real. This will either make it or break it for you, if you don't mind the slow pace and want to see a nice coming of age story with a backdrop in Italy then I'd say give it a try. You could tell this was crafted by someone with an actual European background and not by an American perspective so I appreciated that. Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer definitely have chemistry and the romance is strong but honestly I felt like it played it a little too safe? I think this movie has a lot of good things and a lot of mixed things. I can see why people love it but it didn't reach that high for me I admire it for its unique direction and style but wasn't as engaged by it as I was with the Shape of Water so far. 7/10.