December 19, 2017 2 min to read

Call Me by Your Name

Call Me by Your Name isn't just pretty, it's the type of pretty that lulls you into a trace as it runs.

by Zach Saul

It’s strange to sit through a movie where the conflicts felt so insignificant - but at the end it was clear Guadagnino did this intentionally - as Call me by Your Name isn’t about how difficult it is to be gay, and the struggle homosexuals go through to realize their preference. There are plenty of other movies (specifically last years best picture Moonlight) that cover that in detail. Instead Call Me By Your Name is a meditation on first love - desire, and that feeling that “gee, isn’t love grand?”. Pretentious as it sounds: Call Me By Your Name is also what i imagine a love poem would look and sound like if it were somehow translated onto the big screen.

In the thick of romance, people often say they loose each other in the ones they love - and in a way you give your counterpart a piece of your identity for safe keeping. I think Call me By Your Name (other than being about fine Italian wines and delicious looking brunch spreads) is truly about identity, and the way sexuality and desire shapes who we are. Ellio’s desire for Oliver completely transforms his behavior as the film progresses and even his approach to other heterosexual encounters. When the characters call each other by their lover’s name I interpreted this as an acknowledgment that a part of them will always live inside the other both inside and outside the confines of their summer fling.

The Good: This is the best soundtrack in a movie from 2017. Andre Laplante, Sufjan Stevens and others create a completely engrossing universe that feels equal parts mysterious, blissful and lonesome - and the score compensates for the lack (at times) of character development. It’s also a much funnier movie that it will get credit for - as Elio and Oliver’s lack of reservations allows a more freeing discussion about sex, and their relationship. The Acting and cinematography is also absolutely breathtaking. Chalmet will probably be recognized during the oscars, and it’s hard to beat some of the shots of southern Italy we’re shown in this movie.

The Bad: I would be lying if I said a ton happens in Call Me by Your Name. It’s a slow but deliberate movie - that isn’t so much interested in defining a person as it is a feeling. As tough as it was for me to wrap my mind around that fact - I have to concede Call me By Your Name has definitely stuck in my mind in a way other films haven’t.