Fresh like a fruit, sensual like an Italian summer

Rating: 10/10 (1 November 2017)

Call me by your name is, in my opinion, one of the few, rare films that have the power to deeply move and affect their viewers as if they were watching scenes of real life or perhaps even of their own experiences. This film is so special that it has been stuck in my mind and imagination for many days after the first viewing. I could not resist but watch it a second time, which was in many ways revelatory on the quality of the movie. It is directed by Luca Guadagnino, an incredibly gifted Italian film-maker who has worked on the critically acclaimed 'I am love' and 'A bigger splash'. The artistry and the sense of taste of Guadagnino's cinema are immediately evident in this movie. The screenplay, by James Ivory, is based on the 2007 book by Andre Aciman. Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer are incredibly believable and delightfully genuine in their portrayals of Elio and Oliver. Elio is a young man who lives in a gorgeous small town of Northern Italy with his cosmopolitan family during the summer of 1983. Oliver is a handsome American academic who has come to stay at their villa for the summer as a student of Elio's father. Michael Stuhlbarg also offers an incredible performance during the film, playing Elio's sensitive and intellectual father, who faces the reality of his son's sexuality and reaches out to him in one of the most touching and most virtuously written scenes of the past few years. Everything falls smoothly into place and looks astonishingly beautiful, from the luxuriant Italian setting in the town of Crema and around Lake Garda, the carefully picked and elegant costume design, to the crisp and vintage looking photography. Some moments in this movie will probably become cult scenes, like Elio's self sexual discovery through a peach and the conversation taking place between Elio and Oliver in front of a war memorial, where they begin to reveal the feelings they have for each other. This scene is particularly interesting (and is followed by shots of the two cycling through the sun- lit countryside) as the camera moves around the square with no interruptions and observes the discussion without ever getting too close to the characters. It seems like Guadagnino has the talent to reveal his characters' emotions without necessarily having to indulge in close-up shots. Still, when he does, I guarantee it feels pretty magic. The soundtrack also plays a big part in creating the special mood of this film, with two songs performed by Sufjan Stevens. I believe this movie deserves a 10 as it represents all I love about cinema and it casts a magical spell that makes it a little cinema miracle. Everyone should watch it and fall in love with Oliver and Elio!