CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

Italy/France/US, 2017, 130 minutes, Colour.
Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Italian director Luca Guadagnino has made films set in Italy, both in the south and, here, in the north. His films include I Am I Love and A Bigger Splash. This film is set in 1983. A summer story with a guest from the United States, a student of the arts on a scholarship living with the family of the host.

For those who enjoy being immersed in the atmosphere of a different country, there is a great deal of pleasure in the time spent in this part of northern Italy, the countryside, the local town, the summer atmosphere.

The central character is the recipient of the grant, Oliver, played with some zest by Armie Hammer. He is quite exhilarated to be in Italy, having the contact with the academics, examining artworks and an excavation from Lake Garda. Oliver can also be the life of the party, very attractive to the local women, enjoying their company, dancing…

The other central character of the film is Elio (a strong performance by actor Timothee Chalamet a very demanding role). Elio’s passion is for music, performance, writing, annotation. He is the son of the hosts for the summer, French but having their holiday mansion in Italy.

Elio is rather precocious, helping Oliver, sometimes wary of him. However, the theme of the film is sexuality, Elio and his growing self-awareness in his teenage, his attraction towards Oliver, the question of his making advances towards the adult, and Oliver’s response. He is also caught up in the expectations of friendship with the local girls and, despite his seemingly short and assertive manner, he is emotionally confused. Oliver is cautious at first, but affected by the advances of Elio, the effect of their spending time together, the effect of the growing intimacy, issues of sexuality both emotional and physical, the appropriateness of the relationship and the effect on each.

After Oliver returns to the United States, the film spends time focusing on Elio, the effect of the summer on him, his self-awareness, and, especially, a strong scene where he discusses the whole experience with his listening and sympathetic father (Michael Stuhlbarg).

The film is one of those dramas where the director opts for a long focusing on the face of Elio, the audience gazing, reflecting on their response to Elio and Oliver, wondering about Elio himself and his future.


1. A family story, relationships, gay relationships? 1983 – in the pre-AIDS era?

2. The North Italy settings, the beauty of nature, the mansion, the interiors, activities outside, the swimming pool, the lake and the swimming, the forests? The town, the streets, buildings? The mountains at the end?

3. The musical score, park and the variations, classics, popular music?

4. The title, Elio and Oliver, terms of affection, and the final phone call?

5. The situation: the professor and his wife and son on holidays, the background in archaeology and research, having an annual visitor, hospitality, becoming part of the household? House, the cook, the kitchen? Elio watching Oliver’s arrival, carrying his suitcase, his room, sharing the bathroom and toilet?

6. The father and his work, discussions, filing and cataloguing, reading, the visit to Lake Garda and the finding of the statue? The mother and her love and protection for her son?

7. Elio at 17, precocious, worldly -wise yet naive? Open, smoking and drinking, his talk with adults, wilful? The immediate interest in Oliver, the bike rides, going to town, the discussions, his being very well-informed? Marcia and her visits, the sexual experimentation, impotence, later friendship? In bed, masturbation? Confident, but…? His reaction to Oliver, athletic, the volleyball touch, the dancing? His taking the initiative at the age of 17, calculated but not appreciating the consequences? His music, transcribing, his playing, the variations on bark, Oliver listening? His playing for the guests – the gay couple, Sonny and Cher?

8. Oliver, very American, his arrival, always saying later? Sleeping, breakfast and his clumsiness with the egg yolks, ego, riding the bike, the bank can the documents, the volleyball, swimming, dancing? The girls being attracted? They’re coming to visit the house again? His getting on well with people?

9. Elio and Oliver, the growing intimacy, the sheeted rooms and bathroom? The move to the kiss, the intimacy, Oliver warning him off, succumbing? The director’s treatment of the relationship, somatically, visually – suggestions, moments of explicitness? The effect of the relationship on each? Emotional, sensual, sexual? Oliver’s caution, Elio not? Elio and his brooding?

10. The two together, the dialogue about their affection, the relationship?

11. Marcia coming to see him, her disappointment, his seeming of handedness, eventually life friendship?

12. Going to the mountains, the exhilaration of the trip? The room? The farewell of the station?

13. Elio’s emotions, phoning his mother to collect him, weeping? The discussions with his father, his father’s wise advice, meditating on intimacy and friendship, precious relationships?

14. Six months later, winter, the celebration of Chanukah – and the early intimations about Jewish characters, not frequent in Italy, the Star of David metal?

15. The phone call, Elio talking with Oliver, the parents and their enthusiasm? The latter part of the film giving time for the audience to reflect on the characters and the relationship?

16. Elio’s face during the final credits and the audience response?