Groundbreaking...Very Good, not for everyone

Rating: 5/10 (29 January 2018)

It's highly debatable that this film belongs in the Best Picture category, even with all of the believable content, at its core you feel empty at the end of it. Summertime as a boy is fleeting, and memories are stored as moments in the mind, open for interpretation and often revisionist. "Call Me by Your Name" manages to put you in the film as a spectator, but at the same time, like you can make a difference for the leads in this film and change their history. Although the stars are memorable, it is the tone of the environment that sets the mood, often setting off emotions through careful cinematography and a series of engaging colors with the backdrop of an Italian landscape, mixed with the simplicity of a peach farm. The film focuses on the artistry of classic sculptures and the complex shape of man, but manages to marry those ideas with the fleeting simplicity and harshness of falling in love. The pain follows thereafter, and the "fly on the wall" perspective is felt from beginning to end, intentionally, this is a film that will slam you to the ground. I think that as great as the film is, it leaves too many questions about the future of the characters, as being set in 1983, the AIDS epidemic had not yet gone into full swing, and the more sickness you saw within Elio, the more you realized he was the one that was dying. The historical significance of this film far outweighs either acting performance and it should be viewed with an open mind, bigots need not apply. The film shows us that love is love and comes in many forms, and that Elio is confused as to who he actually is, often using females (and fruit) to fulfill his carnal needs at times. The film is hypnotic, emotionally draining, and tragic. Don't expect a happy ending.