Elio Perlman is spending the summer with his family at their vacation home in Lombardy, Italy. When his father hires a handsome doctoral student, the curious 17-year-old finds himself developing a...
This is a difficult movie to watch and review, not for the content, but for the expectations. There are real expectations to be phenomenal, and most people are at a loss for words, which I believe I can relate to. However, there are two sides that come in to play when regarding a movie like this.
The artistic side of me knows this movie is a 10/10. The beautiful and delicate camera work, how the story is paced, and the patient characterization of Elio. I will borrow many other’s words when I say that the intimacy of this film is like no other. The quiet Italian summer it takes place in and the passion between the two leads is nearly indescribable. It is also, hands down, the most beautifully composed score of the year, and when it played, that was when, I personally, was most committed emotionally to the film. There are no montages to make time pass more quickly. There are long, thoughtful shots and contemplative moments. The first hour of this movie I see as almost entirely without flaw, the direction perfectly building the slow connection and realization of infatuation.
For the second half, and this is a personal issue, I felt the lack of accompaniment musically actually took away from the pre-established intimacy. The passion was still there with the actors, but I think I just lost some of the meaning in Elio exploring his sexuality. It’s rather difficult to explain, so my apologies if it sounds unclear. By the trip to Bergamo all the way to the end, I again saw CMBYN’s masterful dealing with dialogue (the father-son talk was lovely) and the devastating final end to Elio’s summer love. This is a movie I know, I KNOW, I need to see again. I need to rewatch it, figure things out, determine my final feelings. It’s obviously complex, and if I didn’t acknowledge it’s skill I would be a liar and a snob. As gently as I can state my personal opinion, it was good, but I’m still trying to figure it out. For now, my first viewing rounds out around an
Rate: 8.2/10
