Review of Call Me by Your Name (2017) by John P — 16 Feb 2018

An exceptional film of exquisite beauty! Among the top-notch films of 2017, I find this film as the most unique. Unlike the other Oscar-nominated films, this movie is less of a melodrama, less of commercial appeal and is not overhyped in today's modern cinema. There are no highly explosive dialogues in this film, no action-filled scenes or death-defying stunts to keep the moviegoers' adrenaline level on the upswing. Nevertheless, Call Me By Your Name has succeeded in effectively communicating the universal message of love that transcends beyond the socio-demographic barriers of the major characters.

As an academics in the field of humanities, I believe this movie exemplifies a literary masterpiece where all elements of the story (time, place and characters) are coherently interwoven into the development of a central theme that is so magnificently articulated in the ending. The complexity of Chamalet's role is more than enough to earn him an outstanding recognition from any award-giving bodies. Moreover, there is a great deal of social relevance on Stuhlbarg's monologue at the ending scene that may be worthy of emulation for parents with children who are facing identity crisis.

The elements of the film resonate the attributes of many old Hollywood classics where most audience nowadays are no longer accustomed with. In this film, the director, Luca Guadagnino beautifully paints a portrait of what John Keats, has yearn for in one of his poems: "Give me books, fruit, French wine, fine weather, and a little music . . ." So, what else could you ask for more in this movie?

What makes this movie truly great is the singularity of the main idea and the colourful tapestry of sceneries amidst the leisurely pacing of scenes, and the richness of visuals and imagery based on the character's dialogues from James Ivory's poetic script. The film is not pretentious but rather presents a raw but finely detailed description and honest portrayal of human emotion in its purest form. Overall, I give this film a 99% rating. It's a true work of art.