Call Me By Your Name (2017) – A Summer of Awakening and Longing
Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino, is a masterful coming-of-age romance that unfolds slowly, delicately, and with aching emotional honesty. Based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman, the 2017 film is a sun-drenched portrait of first love, desire, and the bittersweet beauty of memory.
Set in the summer of 1983 in northern Italy, the film follows Elio Perlman (played with remarkable nuance by Timothée Chalamet), a 17-year-old who spends his days reading, playing music, and cycling through the lazy heat of an Italian countryside estate. His parents — his father, an archaeology professor (Michael Stuhlbarg), and his cultured, understanding mother — host an annual student intern. This summer, the guest is Oliver (Armie Hammer), a confident and charming 24-year-old American graduate student.
What begins as a cool, cautious acquaintance between Elio and Oliver gradually transforms into a magnetic, tender, and ultimately transformative relationship. Their connection is not rushed; Guadagnino allows the film to breathe, capturing glances, silences, and tentative touches that speak volumes. The result is a deeply sensual and emotionally rich love story — one that resonates with authenticity and vulnerability.
The cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is visually stunning, evoking the languid rhythm of summer with golden light, lush orchards, and ancient architecture. The camera lingers on the beauty of the setting, but more importantly, it captures the subtle shifts in emotion on Elio’s face — desire, confusion, joy, and heartbreak — making the internal deeply cinematic.
The performances are extraordinary. Chalamet’s portrayal of Elio is raw and captivating, blending intellectual confidence with youthful insecurity. Armie Hammer brings warmth and complexity to Oliver, making their dynamic both believable and electric. Michael Stuhlbarg delivers one of the film’s most memorable moments — a quiet, compassionate monologue that speaks to acceptance, love, and the pain of lost connection.
Call Me By Your Name is not just a romance; it's a meditation on time, identity, and the lingering impact of a summer that changes everything. It’s about what it means to feel deeply, to be vulnerable, and to carry those feelings long after the moment has passed.
By the time the credits roll, accompanied by Sufjan Stevens’ haunting “Visions of Gideon,” the film leaves you with a sense of longing — for youth, for connection, for the impossible return of a fleeting moment in time.
