Peaches & Herbs

Rating: 9/10 (5 March 2018)

Oliver, an american-jewish profesor (Armie Hammer) visit his friends in Italy in the summer of '83 for 6 weeks. The Perlman´s son Elio (17 years old), help him to guide him at the town neasr the village. At first, Oliver seems to like Elio, but he maintain distance between them, The cultural context and etymologies dialogues are vast to fill the story. Elio plays guitar and piano, read a lot of books that lures Oliver to him, until his friendship became more physical. Oliver pushes him away in order to avoid a shame becuase of their actions. Elio refuges himself in Marzia when Oliver is not around in order to fullfill his sexual desires, but not his heart.
There is a great italian landscapes and nature, contrasting with some nudity and homoerotic scenes that is magnificent created without embarrasing the audience because it seems innocent and spontaneous.
Oliver explores his early sexual awakenning with some fetishes like sniffing Oliver´s shorts and masturbating with a peach, arousing by Oliver.
The acting is perfect and the direction is very accurate in every moment. If this story would developed in a city, probably the movie failed.
Sadly, most of the gay cinema end their stories with death and silence (Mulholand Drive), loneliness (BrokeBack Mountain) and this is no exception. Elio ends sad and without the man he loves.
Oliver and Elio transmits real human passion and maybe touch your soul very rarely in afilm.
I highly recomend this film, a new gem.