Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Call Me By Your Name, the winner of Best Adapted Screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards (2017), a film that tugs the heart strings with its effective use of storytelling and compassion.

Based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman, Luca Guadagnino and James Ivory tell a sensual tale of first love through beautifully shot scenes set within the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy.

The story revolves around 17 year old Italian-American, Elio Perlman, played magnificently by Timothée Chalamet. He lives in his families’ 17th Century villa, where he spends most of his time transcribing and playing classical music, reading and somewhat flirting with a girl named Marzia, played by Esther Garrel, whilst the audience begins to watch a relationship blossom between them.

His father, Mr. Perlman, played by Michael Stuhlbarg is a Professor, specialising in Greece-Roman culture, and also has an especially close relationship with Elio.

Oliver, played wonderfully by Armie Hammer, is a 24 year old American Scholar working on his Doctorate, arrives as Mr. Perlman’s annual summer intern tasked with helping him with his studies.

From the instant Oliver arrives, they both begin to discover an attraction to each other, a desire to be with each other at all time. What begins as a friendship slowly dissolves over the course of the summer into something that neither of them expected. Something that alters their lives forever.

Call Me By Your Name was a film that surprised me as a viewer. I had never heard of it before and didn’t know anything about it in advance. I went into it completely blind, and throughout watching, I felt so many different emotions. Sadness, fulfilment, empathy, love, contentment and optimism to name a few.

The music written by Sufjan Stevens completely describes Elio and Oliver's relationship and is beautiful to listen to and every time you listen to it, it gets better. The rest of the soundtrack, filled with many piano pieces works so well with the story line and when the film is set. It transports you into the film and along the journey with them both.

The cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom was incredibly beautiful. Mukdeeprom and Guadagnino did an impeccable job on completely transporting the audience into the world and the Summer of 1983 Italy, as if you were experiencing Elio and Oliver’s story as it flourishes. The scenery was captured beautifully, with it being quite important to the story.

The story was touching and beautiful, and it completely deserved the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Guadagnino and Ivory did an amazing job at creating a film that is such a incredible example of a coming of age film.

My only negative I would have about the film, is that the first hour is quite slow, which isn’t good for people who are incredibly impatient, like myself. However, I completely understand why Guadagnino and Ivory did this, it is to create the idea that you are experiencing Elio and Oliver’s relationship blossom and that everything is happening at the pace it normally would. This is a very effective use of manipulating the audience into feeling as if you are there with the characters in their life journey.

Call Me By Your Name is a film that deserves more recognition and praise as it is impeccable, from the acting, to the cinematography, to the story line. Completely worth the watch, you won't be disappointed.