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If you’ve ever been to the Italian countryside, you know why so many romances are set there. It’s warm and lush, and the delicious food and flowing wine don’t hurt, either. And that’s why it’s the perfect location for the summer romance of Call Me by Your Name.
Call Me by Your Name is set in Italy in 1983. Seventeen-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) is spending a lazy summer working on his music and hanging out with his friends when his father’s new research assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer), arrives at the family’s villa. Oliver is handsome and charming and entirely fascinating—and Elio seems both annoyed by him and absolutely taken by him. The more time they spend together, the closer they become—and their strained relationship quickly turns into something that changes Elio forever.
The scenery of the lush Italian countryside sets the stage for this steamy and seductive tale about a summer of self-discovery. Everything about the film is rich and beautiful and laid-back. Elio spends his days lounging in the yard, floating in the pool, or leisurely riding his bike into the closest town. The characters eat al fresco and dance the night away—and, occasionally, they debate things like language and history. And it seems that in every scene, you can feel the heat and humidity of the setting—which seems to add to the growing tension between the characters.
Elio and Oliver make an unlikely pair. Elio is a quiet teen who spends hours engrossed in his music, while Oliver is outspoken and intellectual—and maybe a little conceited. And, from the beginning, they do a fascinating dance around one another, Elio both fascinated and put off by the handsome American. And his changing perspectives add to the friction in the relationship, which grows and builds until it’s almost unbearable.
At the same time, though, it’s hard to shake the underlying discomfort of the story—especially in light of recent headlines. It’s hard to fight against inappropriate behavior in the real world yet become fully caught up in a movie about the relationship between a 17-year-old boy and the grown man who works with his father—a relationship that, outside of this Hollywood romance, would be dangerous and objectionable. And that casts a shadow over the rest of the film.
Call Me by Your Name is a thoughtful, emotional, and remarkably sensual film about first love in the Italian countryside. But it’s also a challenging drama—one that isn’t necessarily as blissfully romantic as some might suggest.
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