'Call Me By Your Name', a film about first love and heartbreak. The cinema where it was showing was packed for a festival that this was a part of. This film is tipped for the Oscars and I can well see why. It is a mature film set in 1983 in Italy and perfectly captures a boy's first love and heartbreak in losing that love. It does it without mushy sentimentality, just truth. The final scene were the credits role and the camera concentrates on the boy's face for 6 minutes as you see the heartbreak set into his features will surely go down as one of the great cinematic moments ever captured on film. In many ways this film is challenging, in that it portrays a love affair between an older man (mid to late 20s) and a teenage boy of 17. But the emotion expressed in such an honest way could apply to anyone gay or straight and audiences are flocking to see it. Both of their lives are messy and it's not straight forward, the older man is quite unlikable and arrogant and it's only as their affair starts that you see the real person blossom. The boy has his first sexual encounter with a girl from his town. But the empathy of his father and acceptance of his son's great love, a love that the father says he never had nor never will, pushes this film beyond mere stereotypes and cliché. The final sequence will leave you emotional, if you have ever had your heart broken at a young age you will see the truth in the boy's face and be grateful that the boy takes his father's message of 'feel the pain, don't bury it, treasure it'. If it wins an Oscar it is well deserved.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Call Me by Your Name
(2017)
Saw this in Sofia at a festival and it was a packed house!
2 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Pride
(I) (2014)
Brilliant moving and accurate I know I was there.
11 February 2015
I have just watched this film and on a personal level it affected me greatly. I was a young gay man in 1984 and I and friends, travelled to both the 84 and 85 Pride marches in London. I remember the Miners support at the 85 and we were greatly touched at the time. The movie got the details exactly right, I and many of my gay friends were on lots of marches including the ones against Clause 28 the evil Tory piece of legislation that outlawed promotion of homosexuality in schools and publicly funded museums and art gallerias (among others).
What I want to say about this film is that young gay and straight people should see it. It is immensely moving and funny. Just the right balance. I wept throughout and laughed because it brought to life my youth as I lived it in protest against that evil woman and her kind who dared to tell us how to live our lives, and who we couldn't legally love. It was scary times, AIDS, homophobia and arrest for protest.
I probably can't be objective because of my involvement as a youth in gay protest, it brought raw emotions to recall how angry we young people were then. But more importantly for me it reminded me like it was only yesterday of the immense Pride we felt at fighting for our rights and anyone who was a victim of hatred and prejudice.
All of the actors were a delight, and the portrayal of working class solidarity spot on and very emotional. I loved the fact that it had that British humour that is so peculiar to this country. The details were very true to the time, I recognised the clothes, the music and how tatty gay clubs were with peeling paint on the walls. It is a film that brings to life a time that has not been portrayed before, of protest, solidarity and how together we can change things.
I'm glad that such a film can be made and successful in this country now as a mainstream film as well. Maybe that shows that the protest of our youth changed things. I can get married now if I wish and thanks to a Tory PM, who'd have thought it? So one big thank you to all involved for making this 50 something gay man remember so vividly, and in spite of the dark days portrayed, our youthful struggle and reminding us that we really did something wonderful and change things, as this film is proof positive that we did just by the fact that is got made.
I hope that young gay people, who still cope with the same problems we did, isolated, alone, and scared can watch this film and gain strength from it and join the fight against prejudice still to be won.
What I want to say about this film is that young gay and straight people should see it. It is immensely moving and funny. Just the right balance. I wept throughout and laughed because it brought to life my youth as I lived it in protest against that evil woman and her kind who dared to tell us how to live our lives, and who we couldn't legally love. It was scary times, AIDS, homophobia and arrest for protest.
I probably can't be objective because of my involvement as a youth in gay protest, it brought raw emotions to recall how angry we young people were then. But more importantly for me it reminded me like it was only yesterday of the immense Pride we felt at fighting for our rights and anyone who was a victim of hatred and prejudice.
All of the actors were a delight, and the portrayal of working class solidarity spot on and very emotional. I loved the fact that it had that British humour that is so peculiar to this country. The details were very true to the time, I recognised the clothes, the music and how tatty gay clubs were with peeling paint on the walls. It is a film that brings to life a time that has not been portrayed before, of protest, solidarity and how together we can change things.
I'm glad that such a film can be made and successful in this country now as a mainstream film as well. Maybe that shows that the protest of our youth changed things. I can get married now if I wish and thanks to a Tory PM, who'd have thought it? So one big thank you to all involved for making this 50 something gay man remember so vividly, and in spite of the dark days portrayed, our youthful struggle and reminding us that we really did something wonderful and change things, as this film is proof positive that we did just by the fact that is got made.
I hope that young gay people, who still cope with the same problems we did, isolated, alone, and scared can watch this film and gain strength from it and join the fight against prejudice still to be won.
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