Review of Call Me by Your Name (2017) by Dana F — 27 Mar 2018

*blink* Really?? This movie is one of the year's best?? Yes, it's beautifully shot with lush imagery of Northern Italy and a tinkling piano score to match, the whole thing oozes with sensuality.

But it's as dull as a spoon. I actually felt like I was being held hostage by the director's interminable, self-indulgent vision of young love. Though the performances by Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer are both excellent, Hammer was terribly miscast.

There is supposed to be about a 5 or 6 year age difference between the characters, but Hammer looks at least 15 years older - it gives the whole story a slightly creepy, predatory vibe, which was clearly not the intent.

It's a sweet story about the purity and innocence of first love tied up with a nice little bow of a message about how it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all... but they didn't need 2 hours and 15 minutes to tell it.