Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a re-watch.
The Inspirational: Call Me By Your Name
Maybe it’s that we spent all summer listening to Lil Nas X, or maybe it’s that the coming of Labor Day means summer is on the wane. Regardless, this weekend has us pining for the juiciest of all “I’ll Never Forget That Summer” romances.
Call Me By Your Name took the world by storm in 2017 for its portrayal of a passionate love affair between two young men. Set in 1983, the movie follows the story of Elio (Timothée Chalamet), the son of an archeology professor (Michael Stuhlbarg) living in Italy. One summer, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a grad student, comes to live with the family as an assistant to Elio’s dad. Elio feels an immediate sexual attraction to Oliver, who first seems aloof, but comes to return Elio’s flirtation. Their erotic desire for one another grows, until one night it reaches an explosive passion. The two have a brief, tender affair before Oliver must leave for the US.
Chalamet rocketed from obscurity onto the Hollywood A-List thanks to Call Me By Your Name, and with good reason: he didn’t just give a great performance in the film, he gave the best performance of 2017. Observe the way he controls his eyes in the film, emoting both youthful innocence and fiery intellect. Few actors could manage to do both at the same time, but Chalamet does it. His is one of the greatest portrayals of a teenager in the history of cinema.
It helps, of course, that Chalamet has ample assistance, starting with the magnificent, Oscar-winning screenplay by James Ivory (who is gay, and who also became the oldest Oscar winner in history for his script). Armie Hammer does a fine job as Oliver, making him into a carefree, reluctant lover. The real standout supporting work, however, comes from Stuhlbarg, who plays Professor Perlman as an observant, loving father. A monologue he delivers late in the film should have nabbed him an Oscar nomination, and hints at a deeper truth: many young people have same-sex love affairs, and regardless of what the future holds, they are nothing to be ashamed of. (The monologue also raises questions about just what all those politicians and homophobes mean when they tell queer people to “grow up.” What tragic, gay affair did they have in their youth?)
Shot on location in beautiful Italian vistas, Call Me By Your Name throbs with sensuality and eroticism–few movies are this sexy, or this touching. Director Luca Guadagnino had promised a sequel, catching up with the pair more than a decade later. Hammer’s recent scandals, however, seem to have eaten up the prospect of a second helping. Lucky for us, we can always return to the original.
There’s a reason the movie inspired Lil Nas X’s biggest hit to date. Oliver and Eilo won’t soon forget that magical summer, and neither will we.
Streams on Starz, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon & VUDU.
respectfullycommenting
Well, let’s see
– ‘Progressive Democrats’ in the 1920s used the fake science of eugenics to forcibly sterilize tens of thousands of Americans that they didn’t like … because their ‘science’ said that they were ‘inferior’
– then the Nazis used the ‘Progressive Democrats’ legal theories to design the legal foundations of their ‘Final Solution’ …. saying that the Jews were out in those camps to get away from the war and they were having a great time there
– later, we have ‘Progressive Dems’ like former Governor Cuoma sending hundreds of frail elderly people to die of Covid by putting them in unsafe buildings … while Cuomo claimed to be a hero, and even wrote a book about being a hero
– and more recentlyly, AOC and Mayor de Blasio – of NYC – failed to provide safe affordable housing, and to monitor unsafe housing in the City, that lead to all those drowning deaths in illegal basement, rat-trap apartments … and now they are distracting from their failures blaming ‘climate change’ (when ‘climate changed didn’t fail to build affordable housing, and ‘climate change’ did not fail to monitor unsafe housing)
– and now Queerty pretend that a born-male without a uterus can become pregnant
What next? are you gonna report that you love queer children, so that is why you want to abort the (since if they are ‘born that way’ it means that they are already queer in utero)!
Wow, strange new world …. full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (two great literary quotes in that one line: who knows where the two quotes come from?)
BoomerMyles
Here we have the ravings of a rabidly anti-gay mental case that has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
Sound and fury signifying nothing indeed.
storm45701
Girl, bye.
Cam
@respectfullycommenting
LOL!!!
I love it when the same old right wing troll exposes it’s new screename so quicly. Not even trying to be subtle anymore are you gurl.
Your troll game is sad and weak.
lykeitiz
This is one of those movies I wish I liked more. It definitely has its moments, and it’s beautiful to look at. However, it’s also unevenly paced and pretentious as hell, telling you how wonderful it is before it’s over. Chalamet does shine brightly though.
skeldare
Honestly, I personally think this movie is overrated.
jcool
i agree. it reminds me of brokeback. people kept calling it the first gay love story, but i always felt keith ledger’s character hated himself. if you want a gay love story watch Philadelphia.
wikidBSTN
For those of you disappointed with the film – do yourself a favor and read the book. Much of what makes the book such a wonderful standout is very difficult to capture in a film. Read it and you will understand.
Daws
I will say, this is a rare instance for me where I liked the film more than the book. Both great, though.
Altaclipper
Respectfullycommenting, I wouldn’t normally bother to notice, but your sentence structure and grasp of the language, not to mention grasp of history, are garbage. I have to assume that English is not your first, or third or fourth, language. And it’s “brave new world”, not “strange new world”.
Terrycloth
I bought the movie when it came out on dvd not having seen it first..the hype made this dissappointing..Armie Hammer looks 40 not 26…he acted as if imo he didn’t really care if he was in it or not…plain one demensional performance..movie could have use some editing too. Very long. Some scenes were there to fill time ..they ride bikes alot kiss. Bike ride some more .kiss..there’s a girlfriend just because .I wanted to love it..Timothee was better in other movies. He was the best thing tho in this one .maybe if theY had cut a half hour it might have helped too slow .
scotty
Yai Ariza got lil nas x preggers. That is all. Have nice day.
Cam
They were going to do a sequel, but apparently it’s on hold after Armie Hammer’s……….troubles.