Set in the early 1980s in a particular summer at an Italian villa, “Call Me By Your Name” is a film that depicts the joys and sorrows of a summer love.
Everything within the narrative and how it is told is rife with symbolism but even in its pitch-perfect storytelling, it boasts of nuanced performances that capture everything that it means to be in an intense, passionate relationship with someone new.
“Call Me By Your Name” is the story of 17-year-old Elio, who discovers the full nature of his sexuality at the arrival of Oliver, his father’s research assistant in the summer. In an idyllic setting, the pair bond over their passions — Elio and music, Oliver and archeology, amongst other things — and forge a friendship both romantic and sexual in secret. Unlike today, the ’80s were not as forgiving of gay relationships and the unlikely lovers must be discreet.
Director Luca Guadagnino celebrates the innocence of the time, the languid pace of summer, the thrill of young love, the eccentricities of the Italian countryside and its people, and the push and pull of romance. The cinematography is rich in bright colors and even the night scenes are well-lit, creating a space for intentions to be seen and felt in the dark.
There is a consistent use of long shots where Elio or Oliver (or them together) are coming from a distance and then coming closer until they fill the screen and then leave the frame. There is always this feeling of something that is distant but coming closer and then leaving just before the subject settles in. The camera is like a voyeur, capturing every moment with an elusive subject who is always just a little out of reach.
Timothee Chalamet, who plays Elio, captures the unbridled passion and boredom of an adolescent to a tee. Chalamet’s Elio is as intense as he is gifted and intelligent. Chalamet infuses Elio with a desire he can neither understand yet nor control. His body language, his every look is is filled with want and need. It’s a captivating performance that is the film’s center.
Armie Hammer’s Oliver is filled with bravado, an “American-ness” that is charming as much as it sticks out against the Italian landscape. He is completely unself-conscious in a measured performance of a man who has fallen for the son of his employer, so beguiled by Elio’s brilliance and youthful energy.
Just like an Italian summer, the film takes its time to develop their bond, each scene building the intensity into a fever pitch. And, strangely enough, there’s no real conflict here. There’s no enemy here except for the coming end of summer, which would mean Oliver’s eventual return to America. What the film tackles is the awakening of Elio’s awareness of his person and his sexuality and how he deals with what is to come.
“Call Me By Your Name” is a coming-of-age story that never judges its characters and while it brilliantly portrays the highs and lows of love, it never shies away from the realities of the age and the time.
It is a beautifully made film that reaches into you and targets your fragility because you know that what you are seeing onscreen is something you’ve felt before. Come awards season, expect “Call Me By Your Name” to get its name called quite often as it reaps its share of accolades, including for its two actors and the film itself.
