Call Me by Your Name (2017) User Reviews (1,273)

Elegant and painfully passionate

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 22 October 2018]

There were many scenes in this movie that stuck with me, most of which have probably been discussed to death (the dad, the peach, the sheer pleasure of sitting around reading, swimming, and doing whatever you want unsupervised).

I think as an American, one of the things that stuck to my bones was how the parents reacted to their son's sexuality. I don't mean his homosexuality. I mean, sexuality as a whole. Despite most of the key characters being American, they all have a European sensibility that it very rare to see here in the US. One could argue that the movie itself could be making a social comment about open, honest European views of sex vs. moralizing, restrictive American views.

First, the parents see their son is attracted to a man, so they do things to help facilitate that attraction by giving them the idea to travel alone together. They also let Elio and Oliver have their space in the house - they aren't monitoring Elio or "checking up on him," which I found refreshing.

Second, the parents are genuinely always there for Elio in helping him discuss sexual relationships. He is able to say to his parents out loud, "I could never be that open," a vulnerable statement I have trouble imagining ever having expressed to my parents. They simply reassure him; they don't nag or moralize him about sex. Of course, there's the scene with the father discussing his own sexual past and desires, openly and without judgment that exemplifies this behavior.

Third, the adults in the movie treat Elio respectfully with regards to his sexual encounters. For example, when Elio greets the older gay couple with Marzia and quickly gives her a kiss and loving pat, the adults simply maturely greet her and say hello. No one says "Ohhhhhhh! You have a GIRRRLFRIENND!!!!!!!!!" In the US, I find it typical that adults make teasing comments and condescending "jokes" about "how cute it is to have a crush" to teenagers. This moralizing can make teens internalize that they are doing something wrong, when they are actually doing something natural.

To see adults treat Elio respectfully and collegially, like a mature young adult for whom sex is one of many natural, positive experiences, filled me with hope, jealousy, and a strong feeling about the kind of parent one should be when one has teenagers. It's not very common you walk out of a movie thinking, "This movie has changed or informed the way I want to live my life" but this one has for me.

Last, I think we are in a particular time where we are really looking back on the 1980s with a specific nostalgia for a time when kids could just be kids, ride their bikes everywhere, have adventures, be home for dinner, then go out again and have more unsupervised adventures. Stranger Things, It, and this film all are really tapping into that nostalgia, albeit in slightly different ways.

The music in this movie is what I can only describe as beautiful, Sufjan's songs in particular stand out as incredibly moving. Visions of Gideon is an absolute soul crusher. The music added to the atmosphere of the movie, which was so warm and peaceful. It was so refreshing to see a movie about two men in a relationship that didn't end with one of them dying or angry parents, nothing of the sort. Time is the villain here, and I think that makes it all the more tragic.

Absorbing but not a masterpiece

[kiwi_22 · 8/10 · 19 January 2018]

First, to all the Americans on here outraged about the film "endorsing" a criminal act - NEWS FLASH!! Just because the age of consent is 18 in your country, doesn't make it so everywhere else in the world! 18 is comparatively old by global standards. I believe the average age is 16 (as in my country) and in Italy where the film takes place it's actually 14. Whether you agree with it morally or not, no criminal act takes place - US law does not apply!

However, I agree with many reviewers that Armie Hammer is miscast in terms of his character's age. He is 31 and looks it, whereas Oliver is meant to be 24. His age is never referred to in the film, so viewers who haven't read the book are left with the impression of a 30-ish man engaging in a relationship with a 17-year-old, which Timothee (20 at the time) does convincingly portray. I can fully understand how that would ring alarm bells for many. If they'd had an actor who actually looked 24 I think that would have created a very different dynamic. Even so, the relationship is hardly of a paedophilic nature. And I don't think most people would regard 17-year-olds as "children" physically and emotionally, even if they may be legally.

Timothee Chalamet gives an incredible performance fully deserving of all the accolades, but I found Armie's inconsistent at best. He does get better as the film goes along. Maybe it's just that I didn't find his character particularly appealing... to me he comes across as rather abrupt and arrogant, and weirdly passive-aggressive and patronising towards Elio for much of the time. The physical scenes between Oliver and Elio were excruciatingly awkward to watch and didn't ring true to me - but I'm a straight female so what would I know? I haven't had that reaction with the (admittedly few) other gay films I've seen though. Maybe it was supposed to reflect real life, or maybe I am just too accustomed to male-female depictions. Ultimately the relationship seemed to consist of Elio being infatuated and Oliver enjoying being the object of that infatuation, rather than a true love story.

Personally the relationship I found most touching in the film was that between Elio and his parents. Although they aren't given much to work with, both the actors playing his parents do beautiful, nuanced work... and the much-lauded scene near the end with his father was stunning and truly moving. It was refreshing to see a such a loving and accepting child-parent relationship, done in a natural and non-affected way. It rang very true to my own experience as an only child and it was nice to see this portrayed on film for once, instead of the tension-filled relationships American films usually depict.

Overall I thought the film was absorbing and well-done, but neither the masterpiece or great love story it's being hyped as.

Beautiful

[petra_engstrom · 8/10 · 17 December 2018]

Beautiful movie. Timothée Chalamet is more than brilliant. He makes you believe everything is real, every emotion, every scene, everything. Sweet, lovely boy

A Cinematic Classic

[mcs26891 · 2 February 2017]

How can any review rightfully describe Call Me By Your Name? I had the immense privilege of seeing it at Sundance before 99.99% of the world, so now I am one of the select few in charge of p(r)eaching the gospel that is Call Me By Your Name. This film is simply a masterpiece, possibly the best romance film of all time, and one of the best films of all time as well.

The plot is basic, but it is how the story is told through the actors, the imagery, and the music where the film shines. The son of an academic (Elio, played by Timothee Chalamet) falls in love, perhaps hopelessly, with a visiting student (Oliver, played by Armie Hammer) who is staying with his family "somewhere in northern Italy." Almost all reviewers will describe it as a gay romance, some will say it's just about two people falling in love (and they will get criticized for trying to downplay the sexuality of the characters), but at its core it is about two people who fall in love with one another but have difficulty realizing that the other feels the same way. It is a universal film about love, sensuality, longing, and being true to oneself.

While most romance films are unrealistic, melodramatic, or otherwise uninspired, Call Me By Your Name is anything but. The first hour is tension-filled with innuendo in the actions between the main characters and the other people in the story that realistically captures the delicate dance involved in flirting. The passion that develops is palpable, with some of the best love scenes to grace the cinema - complete with the awkwardness involved. The ending may be predictable, but how everything plays out is a masterclass of film-making.

The final monologue between father and son towards the end will be the highlight for most people. Michael Stahlbarg gives a breathtaking performance as he calmly provides his son comfort, but most importantly, acceptance. However, the emotional peak of the film truly comes at its end, with a haunting final shot that will stay with me forever. Timothee Chalamet is a revelation and is destined to become one of modern cinema's finest actors. Armie Hammer finally has a role that allows him to shine. While many will be surprised at the casting on paper, it is a testament to the actors that you can truly feel the passion between their characters so much that the pairing feels like destiny.

Call Me By Your Name is a moving film that stays with you, leaving a dark depression for days that arises not from what happens in the movie, but how it is shown. It is so beautiful, but heart-wrenching at the same time, that it reminds us how amazing life is despite that our desires are not always, if ever, truly fulfilled. The film teaches the viewer important life lessons that have already deeply impacted me as a person and how I intend to live my life. The central question it asks is best summarized through a question asked by a character in the film: "Is it better to speak, or to die?" After the film, one can only leave with one logical conclusion: To speak, because to die, is to die without ever knowing the answer. And for Elio, regardless of how the relationship ends up (see the film!), at least he knows the answer.

A touching romance

[Sebastien02 · 10/10 · 17 May 2018]

« Call me by your name » is a beautiful movie about first love. The atmosphere is dreamy and I have been taken on an emotional journey for two hours. Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer give remarkable performances. There is a great chemistry between them. The charming landscapes, the good soundtrack and the delicate direction also contribute to this achievement. I like the way homosexuality is portrayed: being gay is normal; there is no drama queen and no pathos. This is a touching story that makes me want to fall in love.

A masterpiece that will stay with you long after the credits

[The-Awesome-One · 10/10 · 5 October 2017]

Call Me By Your Name is the kind of movie that makes you sit through the credits with tears rolling down your face, staring blankly at the screen with a lump in your throat and tightness in your chest.

Call Me By Your Name is not a tragic movie. It's not a sad movie. It's not a pretentious movie. It's a movie about love, and love, and love. A beautiful love that will leave you longing to find your own love and drown in it.

Timothée Chalamet is an absolute force of nature. Elio will make you want to love, and hurt, and piece yourself back together with absolutely no regrets whatsoever. Elio will make you want to live your life to the fullest. Elio will make you want to break your own damn heart. It's so rare that a performance truly shows the depth of longing, and despair, and passion a character conveys through written words without the internal monologue. Timothée is truly a revelation and his last scene during the credits will have a lasting impact on everyone.

Armie Hammer is absolutely brilliant in the way he humanizes Oliver who is somewhat glorified through Elio's lens in the first part of the book. In the movie, Oliver is endearing and human and sexy and caring. He cares for Elio, and his love for him is so tender and so touching

Michael Stuhlbarg's monologue delivered nearing the end of the film is a complete masterpiece, and without a doubt that monologue with be taught and quoted for many years to come. A raw and beautiful scene.

Watch this movie. Watch it, and love it, and don't let it fall victim to over-hype. Watch this movie. Fall in love in two hours and twelve minutes, then question every single time you didn't allow yourself to feel just because you were afraid of getting hurt. Was avoiding a possible heartbreak that might have shattered you worth never getting a taste of the heavens? Was killing the potential pain and heartache worth it? Was it worth it?

It happens when you least expect it

[paulfairbanksusa · 10/10 · 12 December 2017]

Beauty in the midst of all the ugliness we're living in, it's like a shock. I wept like I hadn't wept in a movie since I was very young. It made me think and remember summers of my own life. It made remember sounds and smells. I was transported. The smartness, candor and gentleness of this unexpected love story goes beyond anything I've ever seen. Luca Guadagnino is rapidly becoming one my favorite directors working today. Armie Hammer completely demolished my preconceptions with a performance that is total perfection and I haven't mention Timothee Chalamet yet. No I need to dedicate the lasts paragraphs to him because his performance goes beyond perfection. I didn't know him at all. Now I' a fan. It reminded me of the first time I saw Daniel Day Lewis playing a gay punk in "My Beautiful Launderette" An explosion of beauty when you least expected. Thank you for that.

"Call Me By Your Name" perfectly adapted to film.

[salazaraaron-17115 · 10/10 · 23 January 2017]

If you've read the book, you will not be disappointed. If you've not read the book, you must. They fit together as a beautiful work together. Companions in art. One without the other, and you just aren't as fulfilled. I cannot wait to reread the book.

Timothée's performance is one for the history books. The Adele Excharpolous à la Blue is the Warmest Color of the year. His eyes are so expressive and every emotion and action is so deeply felt by this poor tortured soul that by the ending you cannot help but weep and feel at the absolute lowest you've ever been.

Armie is portrayed to perfection, as well. His "later" and other phrases stand out so sharply in a world of prompt and prim dialect that it makes us feel engaged in a way that I've never felt by a movie. He was such an outsider and yet we were assimilating to his was as opposed to the way it should be. He, a guest, in Italy, for 6 weeks, leaves just as American as the day he arrived.

Luca's obsession with men dancing and swimming pools and beautifully choreographed sex, is perfect for this story. I cannot think of a better match. Luca said in the Q&A afterward that he decided to change a few things from the book because not everything written in prose works on screen in a cinematic way, and if you've read the book, you will agree. He also said the author, who makes a small cameo in the film, thinks Luca's changes are better than the original form. So, that's affirming.

Peach scene? Devastating. Sufjan's new songs? Devastating.

This was a very sad movie but I loved every second. Let's hope Suspiria is even better. Luca G. might be the most exciting director working today. It was a privilege to watch this with him and the amazing cast and crew INCLUDING Sufjan. I hope Sony Pictures Classics doesn't mess up the distribution/awards campaign. This deserves praise.

Also, 10/10 opening credits/font. Luca can do no wrong.

Call Me When It's Over

[pajeme1956-1 · 6/10 · 24 March 2018]

Classic example of what can go wrong with a good story and good acting when in the hands of the wrong editor and director. Good editing could have improved this movie a lot. There was zero chemistry between the two leads. I didn't for a moment believe that either of them were obsessed with the other. There was too many redundant shots of bicycle riding to nowhere, and "let's go swimming" scenes that really added nothing to the story. However, all of the scenes were beautifully filmed.

I put this in a category with "Ryan's Daughter." It's overwrought, over worked, and in 20 years, nobody will remember this film.

The joy and pain of love and desire

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 18 February 2018]

Saw 'Call Me By Your Name' as someone trying to see as many films from 2017 as possible, because same sex love has been portrayed beautifully more than once and because it was one of the best received films of the year with a lot of award attention as we speak.

A distinction more than well deserved. 'Call Me By Your Name' is certainly one of my favourites of a pretty hit and miss 2017 (with some great films, bad films and films in between and near but not quite both extremes) and, like another gay love-themed film from 2017 'God's Own Country', one of the films of the year that really touched me. It is much more than just a "gay movie" and shouldn't be dismissed as just that, that on the most part it hasn't is a good thing.

'Call Me By Your Name' is most striking for its emotional impact. The erotic elements are tasteful and sensual, but it's the relationships that are even more beautifully done. The subject matter is handled with subtlety and surprising wit and the central relationship is tender and compassionate with a little tension. Just as, even more, impressive is the father and son relationship, which was sincere and touching, again with just as much burning intensity, and boasted the film's most powerful scene. The joy and pain of love and desire is portrayed in a way that really touched my soul and comes over as surprisingly relatable.

The acting is another big strength, advantaged by that the characters are interesting and not stereotypical with conflicts that are genuine and not predictable. Timothee Chalamet is especially remarkable and has a great future ahead of him if he continues in this direction. Armie Hammer is hardly inferior in perhaps his best performance to date, a very sympathetic performance which helps make the central relationship as powerful as it is. Michael Stuhlbarg also should be highlighted, a very wise and sincere performance and he has never been this poignant.

Luca Guadagnino directs beautifully, bringing the best out of his actors and the gorgeous scenery just as gorgeously shot. The sincerity, wisdom, compassion and wit of the source material is ideally captured in the script and as indicated the film looks great. The music has whimsy and understatement which suits the story perfectly, and while the pace is Merchant/Ivory-influenced-like deliberate it never felt dull to me due to being swept up in the emotion and being riveted by the writing and performances.

In conclusion, a beautiful film with much more to it than what it can easily be dismissed as. 10/10 Bethany Cox

A beautifully filmed disappointing empty romance

[netanelhop · 6/10 · 29 March 2023]

This film displays picturesque structures and scenes that you would expect to see in a post card. The scene cuts are jagged, throwing the audience into a confusing storm of information and vagueness.

I love romances, but when each character is betraying a partner for "love", I do not see this as pure and innocent as the film proclaims. We even see Oliver at the end telling Elio that he is engaged after 3 years, a topic that should probably have been brought up earlier. Elio is no better, sleeping with a girl and leading her on just to end up betraying her for Oliver, without the slightest care.

The films message was not one of growth, but do whatever you like and don't give a damn about anyone else.

Timothee Chalamet

[borromeot · 10/10 · 14 December 2017]

I cried my eyes out. It was cleansing and reinvigorating. Timothee Chalamet is the living image of a friend from my childhood. He had a similar experience but a very different outcome and it made me think with a broken heart that if my friend had had a father like Elio's father he could have had a real chance at a happy, constructive life, instead of the agonizing pain that he went through. I hadn't though about him for years and Timothee brought him back to me with enormous power. What a beautiful, beautiful performance. Armie Hammer is a total revelation, the perfect foil for a first love. Michael Stuhlbarg introduces us to a character I had never seen on the screen before. He moved me no end, Then, of course, Luca Guadagnino. My hat to you sir. This is a film I will see many times.

A Strong Film About Love & Being Who You Are!

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 11 December 2017]

'Call Me by Your Name' is a film about LOVE. Its also a film about being who you are. And Writer James Ivory & Director Luca Guadagnino bring us a tale on young romance & living life, with honesty & the emotional impact akin to a sledgehammer. And Timothée Chalamet is the find of the year.

'Call Me by Your Name' Synopsis: In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet), begins a relationship with visiting Oliver (Armie Hammer) , his father's research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.

We've seen love-stories before on Gay people, but not all leave the impact like 'Call Me by Your Name' does. This is an honest love-story about a boy and a man, who can't help but fall in love with each other, despite never coming to the world of their sexuality. And the way Director Luca Guadagnino has shot its leading lovers, is something to watch. There is genuine heartache in its characters & also undeniable love. This is a love-story, that's sad but also heartfelt at times. James Ivory's Screenplay is expertly written, offering a story on love & longing, without ever indulging into melodrama. Luca Guadagnino's Direction is simplistic, but extremely effective. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's Cinematography captures the passion of its leading lovers, with gusto. Walter Fasano's Editing is mostly crisp. Art & Costume Design merit a special mention. Sufjan Stevens's Score is superb.

Performance-Wise: Timothée Chalamet is truly the find of the year. The youngster delivers a searingly beautiful performance of a young man who comes to realize his sexuality to a much older man. Chalamet brings nuance & innocence to the part & stands out from start to finish. He's truly one actor who deserves strong Oscar buzz for his excellent work here. Armie Hammer also does his best work here. He and Chalamet share a infectious on- screen chemistry, that appears real & affecting. The Wonderful Michael Stuhlbarg is masterful as Chalamet's dad, who understands his son beyond his silences. Watch him in the penultimate moments & you'll know his caliber as a performer. Amira Casar as Chalamet's mom, also is lovely. Esther Garrel as Chalamet's girl, with whom he experiences sexual episodes, is fantastic.

On the whole, 'Call Me by Your Name' leaves a strong impression. Make time for it.

Disappointing

[pollak1000 · 5/10 · 18 November 2017]

I really wanted to like this film. I read the book when it came out; I am a gay man; I love films about love relationships between beautiful men; I love films with bits of European languages and lovely European settings; I am 'pro' art house films which are all about characters and take their time. But this didn't work. Firstly, it was really too long. But my main problem was that the relationship between Elio and Oliver just didn't ring true. OK, a few small things happened between them which could have been seen as sexual (e.g. the shoulder massage), but they were both busy doing things with women a lot. Nothing wrong with being bi! And Elio is meant to be young, finding himself etc. But one day, he suddenly says to Oliver that he needs to tell him something, and Oliver says he knows what it is - but there really hasn't been enough evidence of that building up. I do realise that reading an article about Hammer which said that he had a clause added to his contract restricting the amount of sex and nudity he would be expected to do - well that made me struggle to see sincerity in his acting. Chalumet on the other hand is a great discovery. The way he holds a close-up all through the closing titles, showing a range of emotions, is very impressive indeed. I can remember so clearly what it was like at 17 (OK yes, 50 years ago) to kind of enjoy feeling sad and then elated about love and sex, and Chalumet shows that brilliantly. But he is not enough to save this film, and nor is the man playing his father, who does such an excellent job of channelling Robin Williams.

Deeply moving, arousing, heartbreaking

[manutorre-03064 · 10/10 · 27 August 2017]

*****This review may contain spoilers!!!!*****

I have just finished reading the book. It is deeply moving. I am still in a daze. Heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. The film adaptation is erotic, cinematic, well acted, and painfully beautiful, as Luca Guadagnino's other film, I Am Love (starring the luminous Tilda Swinton).

What makes the theme universal? To my eyes, it has to do with the complex issue of love and loss. The film and the book deal with love/loss not in the simple sense of losing the person we love, but in the sense of deliberately losing the person we love so we can sustain loving and desiring the person. "I can't love you unless I give you up" could be the line (not from the book or film) that captures the relation between Elio and Oliver.

Both Elio and Oliver maintain the minimal distance between them instead of fully committing to their desire 'til the end. Which makes their love the sad kind. As Elio said, "Time makes us sentimental." The right time never arrives for Elio and Oliver. They relate to each other from the lenses of the past ("pluperfect" love, to borrow Elio's wording) and the future. It is never now. The thematic is appealing because it speaks to many of us who have loved and continue to love on the basis of the fundamental loss at the heart of desire. Is there a way out of this spiral? Is there another way of approaching love? These are questions the book and the movie leave the reader/viewer to answer. The ending is unhappy yet "satisfying", precisely because this satisfaction involves a mix of hope and agony. It keeps the movement of desire in motion, for both Elio and Oliver, and for the reader/viewer.

PS: I can't help but reflect on this great film vis-à-vis Guadagnino's another great film, I Am Love, where the two protagonists literally leave their respective worlds behind to be in a world that they both share.

A piece of perfect cinema

[iemdeboer · 10/10 · 4 November 2019]

Now, where to begin... Pretty much everything I feel about this film has been mentioned here before. But boy did it make me FEEL, from the opening credits right through the end credits. It made my heart soar and sink with its colours, scenery, music, and above all else its acting. The phenomenon that is Chalamet was yet unknown to me, and Hammer I'd only seen in a bad chickflick, so it would be an understatement to say I was pleasantly surprised by how they performed. There's so much detail as well, from the inquisitive and knowing looks of a mother, to the picturesqueness of a ladder against the fruittree. Everything about this film draws you in. If I could dream up memories of a hot Italian summer in a rural hamlet, this would be it, I swear I could almost smell and taste this film. Luca Guadagnino made a masterpiece here and I highly doubt it will ever be surpassed in its category.

Sensual Italian summer

[candelach · 10/10 · 25 August 2017]

This film is pure sensuality and emotion. You can see through the character's eyes, taste through their mouths but most importantly you feel, by God how you feel. Luca Guadagnino manages to extract the very best out of his actors: Armie Hammer's performance shows unprecedented depth and Timothee Chalamet is the essence of awe inspiring acting, this film will land him an Oscar nomination at the very least.

It is about compassion, trust, and wisdom

[howard.schumann · 10/10 · 23 October 2017]

Chiron, in Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning film "Moonlight," in addition to being gay and black, has to deal with drug abuse, bullying, and the lack of a supportive home environment. In contrast, in Luca Guadagnino's ("A Bigger Splash") achingly beautiful Call Me by Your Name, 17-year-old Elio's (Timothée Chalamet, "Love the Coopers") life is safe, comfortable, and surrounded by love though, like Chiron, he must come to terms with his true identity. Written by three-time Oscar nominee James Ivory and adapted from the 2007 novel by Andre Aciman, Call Me by Your Name is set in the summer of 1983 where Oliver (Armie Hammer, "Free Fire") is an American research assistant studying with art history Professor Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg, "Steve Jobs") at Perlman's gorgeous villa in Northern Italy.

Oliver arrives at this idyllic setting with its gardens, peach trees, and lakes to greet the professor, his wife Annella (Amira Casar, "Planetarium") a lover of German poetry, and his teenage son Elio who speaks several languages and transcribes piano scores for the guitar. Shot by Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom ("Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives") and buoyed by new songs from Sufjan Stevens, it is easy to feel yourself present in the languid summer afternoon, as Aciman expresses it, "with the scent of rosemary, the heat, the birds, the cicadas, the sway of palm fronds, the silence that falls like a light linen shawl on an appallingly sunny day."

With Oliver's arrival, Elio now has to shift his focus from pursuing his French girlfriend Marzia (Esther Garrel, "Daydreams") to show the American student around town and give him bike tours of the area. Soon, however, he becomes annoyed by the American's brusque manner and his abrupt "later" whenever he's leaving. When Elio, who is Jewish, sees Oliver wearing a Star of David on a chain around his neck, however, he finds a common bond, jokingly telling him that his mother considers their family to be "Jews in discretion." Sharing the same bathroom, their friendship begins to expand when they engage in conversation and go swimming together. Although Oliver gives Elio a neck massage during a volley ball game, the boy seems unable or unwilling to process the feelings that it brings up in him.

When Oliver causally tells Elio that he seems to know everything, the teenager confesses that he knows everything except "what really matters." Even when physical intimacy is established, there is the sense that they hold back from fully expressing their feelings and even prefer not to talk about them. Chalamet, in his first leading role, is a revelation, delivering a deeply affecting performance that shows great promise. Hammer's performance is restrained, but also fully believable, making sure that the age difference does not get in the way of the honest and genuine relationship they have established. As they strengthen their friendship, like lovers, their identities blend into each other and they express it verbally by taking each other's name. Call Me by Your Name is not an "us versus them" movie. There are no antagonists in the film. It is a celebration of love in all its wonder and mystery.

There is gay sex in the movie but, like "Moonlight," it is about more than sex. As Guadagnino says, "it is about compassion, trust, and wisdom." All three of these values are expressed in the conversation between Elio and his dad, an interchange that is moving and wise. Though the film is "gay-themed," Guadagnino does not pigeonhole the characters into familiar categories and his refusal to deal in stereotypes or manufactured emotion gives the film the space to breathe and reach the place where tension can grow. Like "Moonlight," Call Me by Your Name has a universal appeal and can touch anyone, gay or straight, who has ever felt the confused and conflicting longings of first love, or who knows from experience that, in the words of the song "Plaisir d'amour," "The joy of love is but a moment long. The pain of love endures the whole life long."

Luca Guadagnino's tender film fills the senses

[gortx · 9 December 2017]

Luca Guadagnino is one of our most sensual filmmakers. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, like his previous A BIGGER SPLASH and I AM LOVE are filled with scenes touching upon all the senses. Guadagnino gorgeously captures images of beautiful objects, locations, books and, of course, the pleasures of the flesh. His soundtracks are filled with the sounds of nature as well as overflowing with music (usually classical, but, with more modern nods to the Rolling Stones and the Psychedelic Furs). His characters luxuriate with the smells of food and they caress the world around them.

It is within that world that screenwriter James Ivory (adapting André Aciman's novel) places our main characters seventeen year old Elio (Timothy Chalamet) and twenty-something Oliver (Armie Hammer). Every year, Elio's parents Professor Perlman (Michael Stuhlbarg) and Anella (Amira Casar) invite a research assistant to their idyllic villa in Northern Italy. In 1983, that person is Oliver, an American who sweeps into town with his good looks and cool persona. Oliver simultaneously attracts the attention of the ladies in town - as well as Elio. Complicating matters is that Elio is also having a summer romance with a young Parisian Marzia (Esther Garrel).

While on the surface, this may seem like a simple potboiler, Ivory, Guadagnino and the cast gracefully ease the audience into the tale. The film takes full advantage of the 132 minute run-time. Nothing is hurried. No shortcuts taken. The emotions are given time to build organically. It's like a lovely concerto that plays out to its own meter. The pacing may be too languid for those who demand a more forceful drama, but, CALL ME is a film to soak in. To luxuriate within. The subtext and the atmosphere not only inform the main story, they become part of it. By the time Elio and Oliver's infatuation is consummated, you have fully invested in them.

CALL ME is deliberately set in the early 80s - just as AIDS was becoming a concern, and, of course, long before coming out was accepted. And, some may find the idyllic setting a bit too perfect. Hammer's performance is a bit too flat at the beginning, but, pays off as it progresses. Chalamat (also strong in the current LADY BIRD) brings off the extremely difficult task of externalizing what is largely and internalized character - simmering until it boils. Stuhlbarg is largely a background figure for much of the story-line, but, is sterling in one of the film's key scenes. Guardagnino's choices of music is impeccable (including pieces by Bach, Revel and Satie) and Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's 35mm film lensing captures every moment exquisitely.

On the surface, a collaboration between a sensualist like Guadagnino and the reserved James Ivory (as in Merchant-Ivory) may seem a bit of a mismatch, but, it works beautifully. Together (with the cast & crew), they have created one of the year's most indelible films.

Drags A Lot

[ahsawesa · 7/10 · 1 February 2018]

For some reason, I feel the need to review this film because it's not a terrible film but I was kind of let down

This film drags so much. One of the biggest issues is it's pace, it drags and goes on and on without much pay off or anything dramatic happening

A root of this problem is from the fact that there's barely any conflict in this film

There aren't much challenges or hurdles, but since this is a self discovery film, that's a bit forgivable but the fact that there's not really any conflict at all or the problem that the film doesn't highlight that conflict until the very third act is problematic

The characters are also lacking something. Even though the film spends so much time developing the relationship between the two main characters and establishing their personalities, I never got the sense of knowing the characters or understanding what they were about

It's really messy and there's a lack of focus/direction and there are way too many distractions

There are positives too. The film doesn't rely on exposition that much and the characters do a good job of expressing their emotion without using on the noise dialogue, and that's credit to some really great performances by Timothy Chalamet and Michel Stuhlberg

The cinematography is also really good. And the soundtrack is amazing, they chose the right songs for the right scenes.

What this film really had it going for itself is that it didn't feel like a film, it felt like a real life experience.

But there are issues that made this film dull and kind of unbearable.

It's not a bad film, I can appreciate it's positives but it didn't quite click with me, it's my least favorite oscar contender.

Truly one of the best.

[linoayumu · 10/10 · 14 December 2018]

It doesn't take a genius to understand nor appreciate this film. It does however, take an open mind to see and feel the beauty this film has to offer. It is perfection incarnate. Never have I been so moved by a film such as this one. It was an absolute pleasure watching it.

Overrated

[busrasert-87918 · 6/10 · 18 February 2020]

The atmosphere in the movie was relaxing and peaceful, style and quality was good, yet in some scenes we just looked at trees , and story wasn't so impressive. If it was a hetero couple movie I'm sure it wouldn't even have got recognized. I just don't like movies get credits having some specific things in the story like racism, gender, religion, and sexual preferences.

Stunning

[DavidO-Scotland · 10/10 · 6 November 2017]

It is not often that films adapted from books capture the true essence, emotion and spirit of the book but for me Call Me By Your Name does just that. Superbly acted by a talented cast the film was a visual an emotional delight. Sensitively directed and beautifully shot with a great sound track what was not to like. For me it was a coming of age love story for Elio and something very special for Oliver. Simply calling it a gay movie does it a disservice. It is much, much more than that. While the whole cast were strong the two leads, Armie, and Timothee just had that magic on screen. And Timothee Chalamet's performance was stunning absolutely stunning. His closing scene will become a cinema classic. Don't be put off by the gay tag this is a beautiful love story, sensitively told that surly anybody can empathise with. Don't miss it.

Based on a second viewing

[silaskan · 6/10 · 6 February 2020]

The movie like so many people have experienced is great the first time around. However, watching it a second time it's apparent the story and some key scenes look comical - with much of the emotion lost. The real star of the movie is the Italian scenery: the lakes, small town squares, rivers, mountains and waterfalls.

Slow, Pretentious and Emotionally Disconnected

[studio-28931 · 3/10 · 12 January 2018]

As a producer/director who specializes in gay genre movies, I was eager to see "Call Me By Your Name". The positive buzz about it further fueled my anticipation. What a disappointment! Handsome newcomer Timothee Chalamet turned out to be just about the only redeeming feature in an otherwise hollow and artificial waste of time.

"Call Me By Your Name" suffers from numerous fatal flaws: The main characters lack any believable "chemistry". Armie Hammer (Oliver) is a horrible actor with as much depth as a cardboard cutout. There is absolutely no effort to explain the attraction Elio has for aloof Oliver and visa versa - it seems to come from nowhere and for no reason. There are hints that each of the two main characters has special talents - intellectual Oliver and musical prodigy Elio - but those scenes seem out of place and contrived with no payoff in the plot. The weird request from which the movie gets it's title is spoken in a scene, but there is no explanation for it. It comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. If anyone said to me, "Call me by your name" after we just had sex, I'd say "Later" (this will be more amusing to those who have seen the movie). I haven't read the book, but the screenplay lacks any kind of conflict, which makes it BORING.

The highlights are the beautiful Italian locations and Timothee Chalamet. I wouldn't bother to see it for any other reason.