Review of Call Me by Your Name (2017) by Tcurran2 — 19 Jan 2018

An ode to classic cinema, yet with a contemporary topic, Call Me By Your Name is one of the most spellbinding films to hit theaters in quite a long time. Telling the story of two young gay men in love in Italy in the 1980s, it almost has a cinema verite like quality to it.

With a warm, Mediterranean color pallet, and a languid pace that gives it the feel of an everlasting summer, every frame of the film is captivating. It may take a while to build to its climax, but when it does, it is really something to behold.

Starring Armie Hammer as Oliver, and Timothee Chalamet as Elio, these two young men completely sell their roles, and enrapture the audience in their heartbreaking performances in the process. Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays Elio's father, delivers a final speech to Chalamet that transcends anything I've seen in film this past year.

You may feel the film's run time at points during the film (which clocking in at 2 hours and 12 minutes, isn't exactly brief), but you might just want to linger on those moments. You'll want to soak up every ounce of this treat before its all over.

After all, there'll come a time when all of us can no longer experience the magic of movies. Let's just hope it doesn't come too soon, there's still so much left to learn.