A peach orchard in Italy
In this wide ocean of movies, there are a few movies that have the warmth of the fireplace or the smell of ripe peaches in the orchard, or the serenity of a random place in Italy. For me, one such movie is “Call Me By Your Name”. It is a coming-of-age romantic drama by Luca Guadagnino based on a book by André Aciman. It is the story of romantic love blossoming between the 17-year-old Elio and the 24-year-old grad student, Oliver.
The story features the beautiful villa of the Perlmans which has a wonderful peach orchard. But it’s not these settings that intrigue me as much as the cinematography does. There aren’t any fancy camera angles used-just simple eye-level cinematography which helps us relate to the movie. It seems so natural at times that you can smell the peaches!
Just like the notes of Elio’s under-construction musical tune, his and Oliver’s tale also embarks on the rocky path of development. There’s teasing, denial, acceptance,embrace-everything that builds a romantic relationship. It’s like watching a beautiful dream unfold.
To recognize one’s sexuality and accept it, is a difficult task. Elio fumbled too. The realistic approach to this issue is catchy. Needless to say, Timothee has done a flawless job in portraying Elio’s characters and his turmoils! There is a touch of symphonic grace about Elio’s character which just hit me in the chords.
Oliver, on the other hand, is the seductive hunk who takes your breath away! However, that’s not the only intriguing thing about him. This 24-year-old is also well-read. He has a vivid knowledge of culture, history, and language. Oliver’s character has had a great impact on me; and so has his “Later!”
However, the biggest character to have an impact on me and one of the biggest reasons for this movie being so close to my heart is Elio’s father (Michael Stuhlbarg). To be empathetic towards one’s child’s sexuality is a rare thing to find in parents. Mr. Perlman sure is a gem! He just stole the film with his late monologue directed towards his son. To know how to acknowledge sadness is a difficult task. But one must grow through it while going through it. The most heartfelt line of the movie is delivered so soothingly and calmly by Stuhlbarg that you can’t stop yourself from falling in love with this masterpiece:
“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster than we should that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to feel nothing so as not to feel anything — what a waste!”
