Call Me by Your Name: A Masterpiece

Call Me by Your Name is a breathtakingly beautiful experience that takes its viewers by surprise on a whirlwind of emotions ranging from empathy to nostalgia and wonder. Though the movie has been receiving critical acclaim since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017, it was commercially released only a few months back and has since then completely swept its audience off their feet, rendering them speechless. The movie had been generating a lot of Oscar buzz and rightly so, has been nominated in four categories: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (James Ivory), Best Actor (Timothée Chalamet), and Best Original Song (Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens).

Set in the 80s, in Crema, a small town in Northern Italy, it explores emphatically the passion of first love as well as the coming-of-age journey of its protagonist. Based on the novel by André Aciman, the movie follows Elio (Timothée Chalamet), a 17-year-old lanky teenager who is trying to find his way around life. His usual calm Italian summer takes a different turn when Oliver (Armie Hammer) shows up to stay with Elio’s family and they both fall for each other. The movie figures as the finale to the thematic Desire trilogy by Luca Guadagnino. The catch that sets it apart is the effort of the people involved and how it executes itself on the screen. The sheer brilliance of the performances by the actors coupled with Luca’s exquisite direction brings to life this raw, unhinged and delicate story alive so well that the viewers

find no semblance of pretense.

One finds it difficult to trace examples of characters being treated with a human frailty and tenderness that they deserve and the exceptional care that Luca has taken in that aspect is deserving of acknowledgment and love. The leading duo (Timothée and Armie) have been highly praised for their breakthrough performances and natural chemistry on screen which they credit to the foresight of their director. Luca had advised them to fly to Crema in advance so that they could familiarise and completely immerse themselves in their roles as well as the setting. The fact that they got time off screen to get to know each other and hit it off really well as friends, gave way to an organic chemistry between them. Chalamet’s commendable work so early in his career, the sensitive vulnerability that he manages to bring out in his roles on screen, is a testament to his skill set and potential as an actor. He has already earned the Best Actor award at the New York Film Critics Circle, the Breakout Actor awards at the Gotham Independent Film Awards and Hollywood Film Awards and more recently, the Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role in Call Me by Your Name.

With the theme of first love, the movie does have a universal appeal right away but the absence of any deterrent to that relationship is what makes it a pious celebration of love. The actors seem to have a similar view and admit that the fact that the characters do not suffer any consequences due to their orientation and the love that blossoms between them, presents the evolved idea that there should be no judgement when two people desire each other. The movie has no doubt made a significant contribution to cannon gay cinema, parallels now being drawn to Moonlight and Carol. It will undoubtedly remain one of the most heartfelt and rare pieces of art to me, one that I will be thinking about for a long while. So come gather around people- cynics, nihilists, anarchists and whatever you are, let this thoughtful masterpiece restore your faith in humanity. It comes highly recommended.

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Featured images: Zimbio