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Call Me By Your Name
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017)
Rating : 9.5 / 10
★★★★★★★★★
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Timothee Chalamet (Elio), Armie Hammer (Oliver), Michael Stuhlberg (Mr. Perlmann)
Adapted from the book "Call Me By Your Name" by Andre Aciman.
Little did I know that I will be forced to stay up till 6am just to finish CMBYN (watched it really late past my bedtime), and by the end of the movie I was so stunned the shock didn't really sink in much till the next day. In fact, I was driving to office and my tears welled when I remembered the ending. Worst thing is, I fell into an absurd spira of depression which lasted for about a week- never tiring to consume anything that is related to the movie, to the characters, to the source material. I even got myself the audio book and soundtrack of the movie.
I would go out till late at night, sit by the beach or at a local fastfood just to listen to the audio book (which reminded me a lot about Oliver by the way). The pain was almost too good to wallow in. I made myself believe that in order to move on from this depression, I had to embrace and recognize the feeling. And I did.
I sent this special person a message asking "Did you also feel that what we had when you were in Muscat, was something special?" Whic prompted a respose, "Yes, I never felt alone because of you." To my own little world, I was Elio.
Perhaps the experience would also be shared by others. I was going through YouTube for some related videos on CMBYN and audience were similarly affected. Famous personality Lea Salonga even had several tweets and articles mentioning how beautiful the film was.
But what is it really that makes this independent film too poignant?
When you think about films that impacted the movie industry like Brokeback Mountain or the more recent films like Moonlight or Carol; the way CMBYN existed in a world where there is no hate or danger of loving anyone. In a sense, there was as Marx would put it Laissez Faire where an individual can freely do as he pleases. There was no restraint from the surroundings- not the parents, the location, politics, laws, etc. The struggle was internal, and by the end of the film, the characters all go back to where they should be (which is more believable at this time and age).
One similarity between BM and CMBYN is the way long and panoramic shots were juxtaposed with the depiction of each scene, carefully woven so that the audience does not focus on the characters alone but also appreciates the entire setting. After all, it's hard to ignore the stillness and calm of Northern Italy in Summer or the grassy moutains of the West in BM.
So I go back to my earlier arguments. There are themes which were gladly overlooked by the audience to give way for a beautiful retelling of a romance such as:
1. Wide age gap between Elio and Oliver
2. Sexuality issues never questioned or put to test
3. Father's admission that he might come close to what Elio and Oliver had (if the mother had not stood in the way)
4. No labels e.g queer or gay, was attached to any of the main characters (apart from the gay couple who visited their house)
5. Being gay and Jew (I suppose this would have raised some eyebrows)
Nobody, not the audience or film critics were bothered by the above. But instead has accepted them as they are. But more interestingly are some thoughts (my thoughts) which come to mind
1. What if Oliver was just bored and merely playing around with Elio? What if, after all that has happened between them it was only brought about by convenience and natural biological drive?
2. But what if Oliver decided not to leave Elio? Or by some twist of fate, decided to stay for good with Elio's family? (Then this would destroy the whole drama!)
3. And I wonder, as the film was set in 1983, where the Internet or social media has not been prominent yet; how different would it be if Elio and Oliver had a faster way to communicate and perhaps hold on to their unspoken relationship?
That being said, judging by how in the book version- Elio and Oliver kept on seeing each other on several occasions, I felt that despite not ending up together, the flame of their attraction did not fade. They grew old apart, but did not forget what they had back in 1983.
And that's what makes this film so easy to love. Will definitely become one of the classics and proto-type for other upcoming films.
PS. CMBYN has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song.
I would have wished for Luca Guadagnino (director) and Armie Hammer (Oliver) to have been nominated for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor respectively, but still they did a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece that deserved every accolade.
★★★★★★★★★
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Timothee Chalamet (Elio), Armie Hammer (Oliver), Michael Stuhlberg (Mr. Perlmann)
Adapted from the book "Call Me By Your Name" by Andre Aciman.
Little did I know that I will be forced to stay up till 6am just to finish CMBYN (watched it really late past my bedtime), and by the end of the movie I was so stunned the shock didn't really sink in much till the next day. In fact, I was driving to office and my tears welled when I remembered the ending. Worst thing is, I fell into an absurd spira of depression which lasted for about a week- never tiring to consume anything that is related to the movie, to the characters, to the source material. I even got myself the audio book and soundtrack of the movie.
I would go out till late at night, sit by the beach or at a local fastfood just to listen to the audio book (which reminded me a lot about Oliver by the way). The pain was almost too good to wallow in. I made myself believe that in order to move on from this depression, I had to embrace and recognize the feeling. And I did.
I sent this special person a message asking "Did you also feel that what we had when you were in Muscat, was something special?" Whic prompted a respose, "Yes, I never felt alone because of you." To my own little world, I was Elio.
Perhaps the experience would also be shared by others. I was going through YouTube for some related videos on CMBYN and audience were similarly affected. Famous personality Lea Salonga even had several tweets and articles mentioning how beautiful the film was.
But what is it really that makes this independent film too poignant?
When you think about films that impacted the movie industry like Brokeback Mountain or the more recent films like Moonlight or Carol; the way CMBYN existed in a world where there is no hate or danger of loving anyone. In a sense, there was as Marx would put it Laissez Faire where an individual can freely do as he pleases. There was no restraint from the surroundings- not the parents, the location, politics, laws, etc. The struggle was internal, and by the end of the film, the characters all go back to where they should be (which is more believable at this time and age).
One similarity between BM and CMBYN is the way long and panoramic shots were juxtaposed with the depiction of each scene, carefully woven so that the audience does not focus on the characters alone but also appreciates the entire setting. After all, it's hard to ignore the stillness and calm of Northern Italy in Summer or the grassy moutains of the West in BM.
So I go back to my earlier arguments. There are themes which were gladly overlooked by the audience to give way for a beautiful retelling of a romance such as:
1. Wide age gap between Elio and Oliver
2. Sexuality issues never questioned or put to test
3. Father's admission that he might come close to what Elio and Oliver had (if the mother had not stood in the way)
4. No labels e.g queer or gay, was attached to any of the main characters (apart from the gay couple who visited their house)
5. Being gay and Jew (I suppose this would have raised some eyebrows)
Nobody, not the audience or film critics were bothered by the above. But instead has accepted them as they are. But more interestingly are some thoughts (my thoughts) which come to mind
1. What if Oliver was just bored and merely playing around with Elio? What if, after all that has happened between them it was only brought about by convenience and natural biological drive?
2. But what if Oliver decided not to leave Elio? Or by some twist of fate, decided to stay for good with Elio's family? (Then this would destroy the whole drama!)
3. And I wonder, as the film was set in 1983, where the Internet or social media has not been prominent yet; how different would it be if Elio and Oliver had a faster way to communicate and perhaps hold on to their unspoken relationship?
That being said, judging by how in the book version- Elio and Oliver kept on seeing each other on several occasions, I felt that despite not ending up together, the flame of their attraction did not fade. They grew old apart, but did not forget what they had back in 1983.
And that's what makes this film so easy to love. Will definitely become one of the classics and proto-type for other upcoming films.
PS. CMBYN has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Song.
I would have wished for Luca Guadagnino (director) and Armie Hammer (Oliver) to have been nominated for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor respectively, but still they did a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece that deserved every accolade.
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