Quartile rating: 8/10 · 2 ratings
In 1980s Italy, a relationship begins between seventeen-year-old teenage Elio and the older adult man hired as his father's research assistant.
Call Me by Your Name earns its strong reputation primarily through Timothée Chalamet's extraordinary breakout performance and the lush, sun-drenched Italian cinematography that immerses the viewer in a hazy, sensory summer. The ending — particularly the long, fireplace close-up of Elio — is genuinely exceptional and emotionally devastating. The plot itself is relatively simple and episodic, following a familiar coming-of-age romance arc without major structural innovation, which keeps it at above-average but not exceptional. Novelty is above average — the film has a distinctive languid tone and tactile atmosphere — but it builds on established literary coming-of-age and gay awakening traditions rather than reinventing them. Acting is the clear standout category.