Mystery of (first) love

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2018)

Some people say "First love is always true love". This might not be entirely accurate, but in Elio Perlman's case, it really is. The year is 1983, somewhere in Northern Italy, to the Perlman family summer house has arrived Oliver, an intern, who for six weeks will help Mr. Perlman with his academic research. Oliver is what one would call a literal dream come true: cultured, charismatic, vibrant and extremely handsome and all that awakens in Elio ambiguous feelings: antipathy, admiration, annoyance, curiosity. But as days go by and Elio and Oliver coexist in this environment and get closer, those feelings start to take a more specific shape: physical and emotional attraction, which begin to become reciprocal on Oliver's side, although with some reticence and in spite of the fact that both are having affairs with local girls.
To put into words what First love really means and to know whether is true or not, is a rather complex task. Nevertheless, by witnessing the way Elio's feelings towards Oliver become stronger, it is not hard to realize Elio is experiencing something for the very first time (something that goes beyond sex that not even a girl can provide him) and those sensations are genuine: the yearning to share with someone whatever makes you happy, the urgency of spending time together, the joy of knowing your feelings are corresponded and the fear of losing that person. This is how Elio and Oliver will create a bond full of joy, but also full of sorrow and sadness.
Taking the critically acclaimed novel by André Aciman, Italian director Luca Guadagnino and legendary director James Ivory (this time credited as screenwriter) deliver an elegant and sophisticated work that takes its own time to build a relationship in which small details, glances, physical contact and silences are more revealing that words. In order to make this entirely believable, Guadagnino and Ivory define Elio and Oliver as two people that by meeting, will end up discovering themselves in a very spontaneous and natural way. Two multidimensional characters, emotionally complex and rich that are now judged nor labeled in any way.
With such premise, it is required a director whose vision and style might be able to evoke and stimulate in the audience those same emotions growing in Elio and Oliver. Luca Guadagnino turns out to be a fortunate choice since his visual style, ravishing and exuberant (supported by a captivating cinematography by Thai DP Sayombhu Mukdeeprom) is a perfect fit to capture the sensation of being in the Italian countryside: resplendent, luminous, idyllic, a perfect scenario for romance where time seems to stop. At the same time, Guadagnino gives the narrative that sensibility that feels so European, which could feel rather cold and distant for some people, but in this case it becomes a crucial element that places the storytelling far above from easy and exaggerated drama. This same sensibility leads Guadagnino wisely to not focus on the carnal aspect of their relationship, but on its emotional side. The physical attraction between Elio and Oliver is quite evident it literally can be felt off-screen, but the sexual act works as the creation of their affective bond, which later will turn into love.
The biggest strength in Guadagnino's direction, however, lies in the casting choices. Oliver is an attractive man in every single aspect, especially in the physical one, and Armie Hammer gives him not only that, since he assumes the challenge to get naked in both literal and metaphorical ways, exposing Oliver's vulnerability, hidden under his arrogance and self-confidence (definitely this is Hammer's best performance to date, and he shows a great potential for upcoming roles). But it is Elio the hardest character to pull off due to the enormous amount of emotions he has to go through and Timothée Chalamet's spectacular work puts to rest any remaining doubt about Elio's feelings through a brilliant use of body language and an incredibly expressive face, Chalamet bewitches the audiences and convinces them they're witnessing the birth of a first love that's indeed true. In addition to this, his on-screen chemistry with Hammer is something unusual, it's hard to find two actors able to exude a sexual tension as exquisitely restrained and absorbing, that when it finally explodes an erotic and sensual charge rarely seen in modern cinema gets released.
As mentioned previously, prejudices and labels are not the main point of this story, but love and its acceptance, and Mr. Perlman is the best example of this. A wise and noble man, who not only understands Elio's situation, but gives him unconditional support when Elio needs it the most. Michael Stuhlbarg portrays Mr. Perlman with a unique warmth and he delivers one of the most hopeful and heartfelt monologues written for a movie.
And last but not least, music plays an important role, with Elio being a potential musician with a special skill for piano, Guadagnino and his team create a very eclectic selection that includes classical pieces, popular tunes from the 80's and instrumental work by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and celebrated indie artist Sufjan Stevens contributes with two original songs (Mystery of Love and Visions of Gideon), featured in two climatic moments whose effect is simply devastating.
Call me by your name is one of those movies that appear once in a blue moon to remind us true love exists and it can turn our worlds upside down in the least expected moment. All we can do is embrace it.