Call Me by Your Name

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.

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.

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's hard to put into words exactly the way I felt watching this film. Hours later it's hard to even begin to write my opinion on it. To put as simply as I can, the film perfectly captures its setting and atmosphere in a way few films do. The biggest credit needs to be given to director Luca Guadagnino, who is able to capture the smallest of details. Technically, the film is a marvel and I struggle to think of one flaw. It's beautiful, sensual, luscious in its execution, with absolutely marvelous pacing. In terms of pure directorial achievements, it's definitely one of the best of the year. The performance of Timothée Chalamet is also a pretty perfect portrayal of the character in the novel, and a completely internal performance that is reminiscent of Rooney Mara's wonderful work in Carol. Armie Hammer is also quite strong in the role, although it's a tricky character to get completely right. The novel is told completely through Elio's eyes and so we only imagine and see Oliver from a distance. He's more of an enigmatic figure in the novel than a real, tangible person. So much of that is due to the writing and the way Elio sees him as, so in terms of difficulty, I can imagine how Hammer had quite a task on his hands. Due to the literal nature of film, it's a type of character that always had to lose some of its mystery to its translation from the page, and it's as good one as can be.

I have so much I want to say about this but still can't find the right words, but the one thing I will say is that while the story here is pretty simple, the film really does capture, more than any other in recent memory, the feeling of that fleeting force of love and passion that can come to define one's life. It does so in a melancholic, beautiful way that makes it stand out from others of its kind. I can see why some people wouldn't take to it (and in fact the almost-unanimous positive reviews surprise me) because at the end of the day, the technical aspects work to create a film that can only be defined by a feeling that some people will experience watching the film and that others won't. All that sounds incredibly enigmatic, but it's a difficult feeling to pinpoint and considering the film, I think it's fitting.

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