Call Me By Your Name was, in short, a pleasant surprise. Truth be told, I didn't really care about this movie and wasn't planning on seeing it so I could save my money for more anticipated films like Shape of Water. I only went at all because my friends were going and I wanted to hang out with them. I didn't even see the trailer before going in, and let me tell you, boy am I glad I saw this movie.
I'm gonna say up front that this film isn't for everyone. It's aimed towards a pretty specific culture of art and openness that they don't have everywhere in the world or even everywhere in America. Let's just say it's rated R for a reason, and it's not for language or violence, and the title, "Call Me By Your Name" is just as strange and kinky as it sounds (but also, in a sense, oddly endearing).
This movie is one of the prettiest I've ever seen. It was set in the 80s in summer and the cinematography was so convincing that I was actually surprised by the 30 degree weather that met me when I left the theatre afterwards. All the sounds and colours and lights of summer made me feel nostalgic for my childhood, especially how the main character had such a strong love for music (but maybe that's partial to me). It was so phenomenally well shot that honestly, if you don't care about anything else, just see it for the beauty. I remember watching it and just feeling calm. I have never felt so therapeutic while in a movie theatre; it was a really nice break from the "how abrasive can I make the crash sounds in this fight scene" I could occasionally hear from the theatre adjacent to us.
The score, also, was really nice. Honestly, this whole movie was just a really nice break from reality; but only for those who don't mind a few very strange kinks. Other than that, it's a wonderful story. Watching it feels like a really good novelisation (which it is), and the tone is wonderful throughout. I definitely recommend this film - but do not watch it with any family members. Really. Don't. It's not worth it. Just watch it alone or with friends who can appreciate art films with sex scenes.
Warnings for Call Me By Your Name: Sex. More sex. Some strange but (mostly harmless kinks. Peach violence.
Warnings for Call Me By Your Name: Sex. More sex. Some strange but (mostly harmless kinks. Peach violence.