Review: Call me by your name

Pride Week is currently underway in Stockholm, or Europride 2018. I took the opportunity to review Call me by your name, a feature film centered around a homosexual love story. This film garnered four Oscar nominations this year, including Best Picture, ultimately winning Best Adapted Screenplay. While largely praised, the film also faced criticism regarding its content and pacing. It also encountered distribution challenges despite the presence of star Armie Hammer in a leading role. Sony Pictures Classic eventually distributed the film, a decision that proved successful, as it grossed ten times its budget worldwide ($40 million).

Call me by your name is set in the early 1980s in northern Italy, in an idyllic village characterized by lush orchards, serene water features, congenial inhabitants playing cards in cafes, and a unique family. The Perlman family is Jewish; the father (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a professor from the USA, married to an Italian woman, and they live with their seventeen-year-old son, Elio (Timothée Chalamet). They freely intermix French, Italian, and English in their conversations with each other and the villagers. One day, the handsome student Oliver (Armie Hammer) arrives to stay with the family for several weeks, intending to write his doctoral thesis under the professor’s guidance. Oliver attracts attention throughout the village, but Elio is particularly affected by his presence. The two begin a passionate relationship, making the summer of 1983 an unforgettable one.

Call me by your name is adapted from the book by André Aciman, and the Oscar-winning screenplay is by James Ivory, now recognized as the oldest Oscar winner of all time. Ivory is known for understated, simmering love dramas focusing on suppressed emotions (Howard’s End, The Remains of the Day and A Room with a View, among others). This film unfolds in a similar manner within the paradisiacal setting of Italy, with delicate direction by Luca Guadagnino, who is poised for a significant career, already having a remake of Dario Argento’s horror classic Suspiria in development. The cinematography, by Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, is masterful: magnificent, intimate, and beautiful, while remaining naturalistic and subtly heightened, avoiding pretension or excessive romanticization. Guadagnino’s casting and direction demonstrate his cinematic acumen. Armie Hammer, always visually appealing, delves deeper here, revealing inner layers that enhance our appreciation of his performance. Meanwhile, Timothée Chalamet, the Oscar-nominated lead, is positioned to become a major Hollywood name, with several substantial film roles already planned. His portrayal of a lost and insecure 17-year-old is remarkably precise, stripping away layers to reveal the character’s vulnerability.

The Blu-ray edition faithfully reproduces the colors of Italy and the film’s deliberate retro aesthetic, including the image’s graininess. It serves as a reminder of the proximity of 1983 to the 1970s. The Oscar-nominated soundtrack by Sufjan Stevens resonates melodically, although surround effects are employed sparingly. The lack of supplemental material is regrettable, especially considering the availability of documentaries about the film’s production, as indicated on platforms such as IMDb.

Call me by your name (and I’ll call you by mine) is a poetic exploration of life and love. While superficially about a forbidden, homosexual relationship, it transcends this if the viewer engages with the narrative and is not deterred by the (tasteful) sex scenes. Ultimately, it celebrates life, food, the beauty of the natural world, and profound love. Some criticism has been leveled at Armie Hammer’s portrayal, with some viewers feeling he appeared older than a student (35-40 years old) and that his attraction to a 17-year-old (Chalamet, 21 during filming, but convincing as a teenager) bordered on hebophilic. Others found the film’s length (2 hours and 12 minutes) excessive.

My perspective: Individuals who have experienced, or believe they have experienced, profound love will find Call me by your name deeply affecting, captivated by the setting and, most importantly, the characters. Conversely, those who have not experienced such love may perceive Call me by your name as lengthy, overly poetic, contrived (with implausibly insightful parents), and somewhat alienating. I commend this tribute to love and maintain that compelling stories can be told by anyone with talent. Neither lead actor is (openly) homosexual, yet their portrayals are entirely convincing and human. This is as it should be; actors embody roles, and their private lives should not influence casting decisions. Films like Philadelphia, Brokeback Mountain and Dallas Buyers Club have resonated with wide audiences and stimulated important discussions, regardless of the actors’ personal LGBTQ+ identities.

This exemplifies exceptional acting and filmmaking, qualities that Call me by your name demonstrates effectively.