Call me by your name

I was disappointed last year that the Anime mega-blockbuster Your Name didn't play locally. As that title lingers in my mind, we now have Call Me By Your Name, which only now started playing locally. The coincidences end in the title and my review begins.

In 1983, Elio Perlman (Timothee Chalamet) spends the summer in the Italian countryside. His father (Michel Stuhlbarg), a professor, has invited grad student Oliver (Armie Hammer) over as a research assistant. Elio is perplexed by how Oliver uses "later" as a goodbye. But they hit it off once Elio learns that Oliver is Jewish like him.

Elio and Oliver become closer as they spend time with each other. Oliver tells Elio to "call me by your name and I'll call you by mine" as a sign of endearment. But they know that society might not accept their relationship. There's a lot of complicated feelings between them.

James Ivory, of Merchant-Ivory, adapted the screenplay from Andre Aciman's novel. Aciman also has a cameo as Mounir, a friend of Elio's father. Director Luca Guadagnino keeps the film going at a slow pace. It's a while before Elio and Oliver's relationship goes from subtext to text. One can emphasize with Elio and Oliver as they struggle with their feelings. Their chemistry is endearing and their relationship is great. Before long, they're separated when Oliver's stay ends. Elio is left with the memories of his summer romance. In the end, Mr. Perlman tells Elio that he has nothing to be ashamed of with his relationship.

There's not much of an original score, save for Sufjan Stevens's softspoken songs. One of the most memorable is the now-Oscar nominated Mystery of Love. It's a perfect summary of a summer romance and its aftermath. The scene it plays in highlights cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's great view of the Italian countryside. The last shot of the movie, during which most of the credits play, highlights another great song from Stevens, Visions of Gideon.

Call Me by Your Name is a fine movie. Its 130 minutes are slow, but the characters make it worth it. It's a movie where peoples' emotions are their worst enemy. The last few scenes leaves the film on a memorable note. Guadagnino wants to do sequels, but this can stand on its own just fine. If they are made, then hopefully the sequels are as equally memorable as this film.