I Saw ‘Call Me By Your Name’ last weekend, and I am still not over it.

I have always wanted to be a movies and music person. Meaning, when a movie comes up I want to really know about the movie. I want the backstory, the real story, the deetz, the buzz, all the above. Oscar noms? I wanna know it all. Music, essentially the same. But alas, this is not quite my situation. Usually I am way late to any movie party and usually I attribute this to the fact that up until basically age 18 the movies I was seeing were either produced by Disney or the latest and greatest in the Harry Potter sagas. There has definitely been ~some~ variation to this, and the past year/year and a half I’ve definitely been expanding my horizons, but most of my adolescent years, that was my movie viewing experience. #lol

This year things may change. Because I saw ‘Call Me By Your Name’ and I was taken aback and blown away, and am emotionally changed forever. I went by myself to see this movie, something I haven’t actually done. It was a dark, cold, rainy Saturday night. I needed something emotionally charged to match both my mood and the weather. It was also the weekend before Valentine’s Day, hence a lot of love reflection and I needed something new, refreshing, emotional, and well made. Enter CMBYN.

My movie connoisseur bestie, Emilia (shout out bb), told me it was worth it. Obv believed her because I believe everything. We tend to be on the same page about a lot, so usually if she likes something I just assume my opinion is the same. And then I ask a bunch of questions to make sure I got ‘the point’ and then I kind of decide on how I feel about something.  This experience was no different.

I didn’t know much about it going in except I eventually heard a reference on my fave podcast, BRUNCH, about a guy having sex with an underage guy. Which I was like oh boy, problematic. Then obviously proceeded to see this movie without knowing much else. Twas a whirlwind.

I decided I want concessions so I missed the previews which I was slightly upset about because I wanted to know what movies/types of movies got to be promoted at an Oscar nominated movie. Are they good movies, I ask? Because the last movie I saw before this was Star Wars where literally every preview was worse than the next-and none looked appealing. So I am wondering if you get to see good upcoming movies versus another sci fi ridiculousness. Also taking a moment here for this hot take: Hollywood–people are dying, people are poor, people are starving, the world has so many needs, and here you are continuing to waste millions on poorly made cinematic features. I BEG YOU to reassess.

Anyways, THE MOVIE. WOW. OH MY WOW. JUST WOW. Not having read the book (yes there is a book, which also, Hollywood, do you not create original content? Must everything come from someone else’s ideas? Not trying to knock it ~too much~ but like plz), as I said, I did not know what was in store. But there’s a lot of sex. A lot of swimming. A lot of fruit. Some sex with fruit. And a lot of Italy. But most importantly, it tells a beautiful love story between to young men. It is respectful. And while there is some devastation in the end, no one dies. No one becomes pregnant (there is also sex with women). AIDS/HIV is not mentioned. Homosexuality is not taboo.  The two men, who are both Jewish, bond over religion and are not discriminated for it. They’re licensed to love wholly. This, I feel, is what I found most refreshing. Love was the central focus and remained so.

The movie, which is set in the 80s, has an awesome soundtrack and awesome fashion. Both leading men have awesome attire and sunglasses to shield their eyes from the blazing Italian summer sun.

Sufjan Stevens has 2 songs on the soundtrack, one of which is nominated for an Oscar. Personally, I would have thought the song that is not nominated, Visions of Gideon, would have been the one nominated because it essentially is played during the end credits and ties the movie together so nicely. Timothée Chalamet, who plays 17 year old Elio (in red in the above photo), has an  OUTSTANDING performance solely using facial expressions in the end credits, I was beside myself. I was also pissed that the lights had gone on and people were getting up. UM hello, do you not see this theatrical masterpiece occurring in front of us? IT IS STILL A VIDEO (listen). I’d say watch because there’s a video for the end credits, but rather than spoil everything you can go watch the movie for the whole effect. But the fact that he is literally wearing a shirt with faces on it while making faces of his own is another fantastic  symbolic moment. Also, the last thing he has to do is respond to his own name. Which was calling him back into reality in a sense and preparing him to enter this new stage of life. Of being Elio.

This movie also significantly increased my desire to own an Italian villa. Like how cool-you can just vacation in this villa where you can read, swim, write, ride bikes, and host evening soirees. Honestly, Elio’s mom in this is goals. She can speak a bunch of languages, hosts the best dinner parties, can dine on her terrace whenever she wants, and is just super understanding. His father is also great and delivers an outstanding monologue on love. It encompasses the love of a man, the love of parents for their son, and the message of it is important to capture and experience deep, passionate love whenever possible regardless of what others may think, regardless of what scares you, regardless of the time frame. If you’ve experienced it, you’ve won so much in life. I really think this message will cause me to just open myself up more to love. How can one not after seeing this?

Overall the cinematography of the movie was beautiful-very visually pleasing. As I said its a fun soundtrack, and Emilia even shared with me some hidden symbolism about some of the songs. One of the songs, which Emilio later plays for Oliver (Armie Hammer’s character; Armie also plays the Winklevii in the Social Network FYI), is a song of two pianos played separately-as if in discussion, then come together to harmonize. Just like Emilio and Oliver.  I’ll admit, despite the beautiful telling of a love story where messages were conveyed, I was not ~totally~ sold on the chemistry between the two actors. Which I know sounds contradictory, because they got the job done, and they are both heterosexual men IRL playing gay men.  But what I found challenging was to accept the underage aspect–I even tried to hold myself accountable by asking myself “well what if Elio was a girl? How often are stories told where a young woman falls for an older man?” Elio also has a waivering confidence, but I suppose if we are talking realism, that is to be expected. Sometimes we act tough to hide our deepest insecurities. And sometimes we cry-a lot.

I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the peach scene. Which, I guess, those who read the book would know about. But for the rest of us….woah. I’ll be honest I was a little concerned about Elio contracting a UTI later on, but obviously that is something I would be concerned with. Apparently, IRL both director Luca Guadagnino and Timothée Chalamet tried it out beforehand. Good for them, I guess. Committed to their art.

Overall, this movie makes me want to see more good movies that execute a strong storytelling. I like visually stimulating movies, and good looking actors with a great soundtrack never hurts.  I also definitely plan to get more into assessing the style of various directors because I’m always impressed when people can name drop directors (or music producers). Another KEY point of this movie is that it is a product of  SUNDANCE! How cool is that? So now obvi gotta pay more attention to Sundance productions.

In the end I highly recommend.