Last month I was invited to special screening of the book recently turned into a movie, Call Me By Your Name. Below is a brief description of the story which remains ever so faithful to the book.
Movie Synopsis: It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17- year-old American-Italian boy, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa living with his parents. Elio’s father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture, and his mother Annella (Amira Casar), a translator, both love and dote on their only child. Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of Northern Italy, Elio and Oliver discover something in themselves that will alter their lives forever.
For those of you familiar with the book by André Aciman, the storyline will sound very familiar. For those who love the book, the good news is the movie does not disappoint. It comes to life in this coming of age story that touched me each time I read the book and did so again in the movie theater. It is ripe with scenes from the book like the infamous moment with the peach and the father son tête-à-tête near the end of the movie is even more touching when viewed and Oscar worthy in my opinion. The ending changes slightly and for once I side with the movie (not the book) preferring how the director Luca Guadagnino chose to close the movie with a very emotional Elio who’s feelings flit across his face as the movie credits roll on the screen.
Call Me By Your Name will be released in the United States on November 24th and I strongly encourage you to see it.
BosGuy 