Call Me by Your Name

Call Me by Your Name works adequately to make you ponder on the relationship between physicality and intimacy, but the effect is ultimately underwhelming because of how disconnected it all feels.

In terms of the visuals, Guadagnino takes full advantage of the natural beauty already embedded in the film’s locations. But, the way that it is captured through the cinematography never clicks with the story beyond being a pretty backdrop.

There is a lot more in this film that feels misdirected. It’s odd that so much of the narrative is centred on the passion between the two protagonists, yet so little of it is felt. The main problem comes from the screenplay, as it never elevates to the level that leads us to believe that they have ever moved past the initial stages of infatuation. It feels like there are scenes that are missing where we would be given more insights into how they connect with each other. Instead, the two hour runtime is filled up by shots that are mostly empty and awkward. Perhaps Guadagnino is trying to break down the narrative into pieces instead of painting the big picture for us, but it is so fractured, it feels so unnecessarily effortful that we have to cling to the smallest scraps to be on board with it. When the titular line, “call my by your name”, is uttered, the impact is all but lost. What follows is a sense of disappointment that the moment that is essentially the emotional climax of their relationship, came so inorganically.

What adds to the apprehension is the age-inappropriate miscast of Armie Hammer who looks and acts nothing like a college student in his early twenties. When you see a tearful Elio at the end, you will sympathise with him. But, it’s not because he lost a great love, it’s because he was taken advantage of, by someone who is clearly much more, mentally and sexually, mature than he is.

There is not a lot of mainstream LGBTQ+ representation in films and certainly fewer that has garnered awards attention like Call Me by Your Name has. Often, we are told to settle for “quantity” over “quality” when we should strive for both. Sadly, Call Me by Your Name is the former rather than the latter.

(Originally posted on 23 Feb 2018 @projectunwrapped)