Breathtaking

Rating: 9/10 (13 February 2018)

This is the kind of movie that stays with you long after watching it. The scenery and aesthetics are more than captivating- they are so beautiful that every shot is worth taking in. This film transported me to Northern Italy in 1983, it truly made me feel like I was there. Another aspect of this movie that is spot on is the soundtrack. The upbeat piano that plays in the background of many of the scenes also creates a feeling of nostalgia for a time that we, as the viewer, may or may not have even experienced. As someone who hadn't seen the trailer, from the beginning of the movie, I was continually wondering if anything would actually happen between Elio and Oliver. The way this movie is filmed and the script given to it builds the tension between the two characters with a lot of care and attention to detail. The performance of Elio by Timothee Chamalet is breathtaking- the viewer can feel his inner struggle with the idea of wanting something so bad, yet wondering whether it's okay to desire what he does. The conversation between Elio and his father at the end is also one that stays with the viewer. It is heart wrenching, and reminds us how important it is to treasure a love like this when we have it, because we don't know how long it will last, or if we will ever come across love like it again. The last few minutes of the film and into the credits is, to me, one of the most heart wrenching parts of the whole movie. "Visions of Gideon" by Sufjan Stevens plays in the background as we see Elio sobbing by the fireplace. Chalamet's performance here is stunning, the emotion in his eyes and his face is so real that the viewer feels it too. My only reservation with this film is that the main character is 17, while Oliver is 24. The age difference here, along with the fact that Elio is a minor, is unsettling. Otherwise, this movie is a must-see.