REVIEW: Call Me By Your Name

Solid film. The endings are the best parts. a) where it should have ended, and b) where it actually ended. Those are the only times in the film where I felt something. And I did not think the actual ending could top Stuhlbarg's heartwarming father-son monologue, but it so did. The music and Chalamet's face wonderfully translate that teenage feeling of loss and happiness and pity and reminiscence. Powerful ending.

I totally bought their lust for one another too. But not so much from Hammer. It was all Timothée Chalamet. The chaser. Tremendous performance. He looks like a young Damien Chazelle and sounds like Shia LaBeouf, but what a great actor! And he is far more invested in every encounter than Hammer. The film starts off just ok. Not bad. Bit relaxed in parts. Interesting in others. But as it goes on. Vignette after vignette. You become invested. The scenery is lovely and the score is good. Just as Winterbottom's The Trip to Italy did, this makes me want to holiday in Italy tomorrow.

Then comes the discomfort. The first time they kiss in the grass, then the "midnight meeting", then the cum apricot, these were all cringe-worthy and unpleasant to sit through. Wasn't a fan of those scenes at all. I'm a straight male so there is just nothing in those scenes for me to want to look at, and by that point I hadn't taken the plunge to believe in their gay-mance yet. It actually took me until the last quarter. On the flip side, Elio and Marzia's fling was passionate and easy on the eye.

As for awards; I think Chalamet deserves praise, and the cinematography/score.

One observation; Elio puts Oliver's shorts over his head and lays on the bed. Okay, but if a boy put a pair of knickers over his head he would be instantly branded a pervert.

B+