Call Me By Your Name * * * * *
I once read that many a bad film are fondly written about and remembered simply because the last ten minutes are so good it compensates for all that went before it. This film has received tremendous reviews and I cannot help but wonder if some of it's praise is inspired by the beautiful and uplifting speech given by one of the characters to his son toward the end.
However, even if that is the case, Professor Perlman's speech should not be regarded as compensatory, for the whole film is a beautiful creation and memorable even without that scene.
Luca Guardagnino gave us A Bigger Splash a couple of years ago. Like that film, this too features people from English speaking countries staying in rural Italy. (There are some sub-titles but most of the film is spoken in English.)
Previews and posters led me to believe I was going to be seeing a gay love film, but by the end of the film I do not know if the main characters were gay at all, which is actually a very fine message in it's own right, as it asks us: Does it matter? Gay, straight, Bi, who cares? The important thing is, it portrays irresistible attraction and love between two people.
A Jewish American academic Professor Perlman, who's specialty is classical sculpture lives in a beautiful home in North Italy with his equally beautiful wife. They have a seventeen year old son - Elio, who is a bit of a prodigy - speaks multiple languages understands and interprets complex classical music pieces and plays the piano like Liszt on a good day.
Oliver is an advanced student in the same discipline as The Professor. He comes to stay with the family for the Summer. His presence brings about a sexual and passionate awakening in Elio. Even though technically Elio is underage and there are several years between him and Oliver. At the same time we see both Oliver and Elio flirting with the local girls.
As a guest, Oliver is cautious at first about Elio's amorous expressions but the connection and love he feels for him pushes aside his sense of caution.
Like A Bigger Splash I was not so amazed by the story as the telling of it, not to mention the symbolism (again as in A Bigger Splash), especially the bodily movements and poses which were effectively reflecting the statues and sculptures they study. It has an atmosphere that belongs to itself. It's an idealized world in many ways. The house is beautiful, the surrounding area is beautiful. Village plazas are as empty and quiet as they might have been hundreds of years ago. Natural spring waters abound for them to swim in. It's a seductive rural heaven in Summer and an appropriate background for such a sensual story.
(5)
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| They seduce each other - and us! |
Luca Guardagnino gave us A Bigger Splash a couple of years ago. Like that film, this too features people from English speaking countries staying in rural Italy. (There are some sub-titles but most of the film is spoken in English.)
Previews and posters led me to believe I was going to be seeing a gay love film, but by the end of the film I do not know if the main characters were gay at all, which is actually a very fine message in it's own right, as it asks us: Does it matter? Gay, straight, Bi, who cares? The important thing is, it portrays irresistible attraction and love between two people.
A Jewish American academic Professor Perlman, who's specialty is classical sculpture lives in a beautiful home in North Italy with his equally beautiful wife. They have a seventeen year old son - Elio, who is a bit of a prodigy - speaks multiple languages understands and interprets complex classical music pieces and plays the piano like Liszt on a good day.
Oliver is an advanced student in the same discipline as The Professor. He comes to stay with the family for the Summer. His presence brings about a sexual and passionate awakening in Elio. Even though technically Elio is underage and there are several years between him and Oliver. At the same time we see both Oliver and Elio flirting with the local girls.
As a guest, Oliver is cautious at first about Elio's amorous expressions but the connection and love he feels for him pushes aside his sense of caution.
Like A Bigger Splash I was not so amazed by the story as the telling of it, not to mention the symbolism (again as in A Bigger Splash), especially the bodily movements and poses which were effectively reflecting the statues and sculptures they study. It has an atmosphere that belongs to itself. It's an idealized world in many ways. The house is beautiful, the surrounding area is beautiful. Village plazas are as empty and quiet as they might have been hundreds of years ago. Natural spring waters abound for them to swim in. It's a seductive rural heaven in Summer and an appropriate background for such a sensual story.
(5)
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