The year is 1983, where Elio, a smart young 17 year old is enjoying his summer. His parents are international academics, spending summers at a villa in Northern Italy that Elio’s mother inherited. This makes Elio quite intellectual and confident beyond his years and curious at the same time. Enter, Oliver, a 20-something grad student staying at Elio’s family’s house while he works with Elio’s father. Though Elio has group of friends and he gets drawn to the girls but he hasn’t felt the inexplicable attraction to anyone else like he does for Oliver. It is not clear how they feel about each other. They flirt, tease, mock but are at same wavelength when talking about different issues. The film takes its sweet time by the time mutual love and attraction is established in the film and the 2 men are all over each other. Just before Oliver is supposed to head back to America, they go for a 2 day vacation and this is when the romance takes its peak. You are as heartbroken as Elio, when Oliver finally boards the train and he is left with nothing. He comes back home and tries to move on with life. Thankfully Elio’s father understands his son and asks him to always cherish the beautiful love that he had with Oliver and not let anyone tell him right vs wrong. Months pass and Oliver calls Elio one day to give him news about his wedding. Yes, things and people move on even when their heart wants something completely different and thats when the last shot of Elio staring at the fireplace stirs up every emotion in your heart.
Yes the film is very very slow in the first hour, but then this is a film about coming of age, about the secrets of youth, the magic of summer, the beauty of Italy. It needs that patience so you connect with not just the characters but everything else around. It gives a vibrancy of an old postcard, of a treasured memory, of your childhood days of no technology. Oliver has his aura of mystery around him, especially when he suddenly leaves a conversation with ‘Later’, which Elio describes as being arrogant. There is sensuality and playfulness in their interactions. The two have amazing chemistry right from the very beginning, when they bike to go to the town, walking around, taking a dip in the pool, feeling each other and constantly worry about what the other person is thinking. And when finally, after almost one hour in the film, when the true feelings are revealed, it feels real and authentic. The scene is powerful and emotional. They are both into each other but since they have to keep this a secret from Elio’s parents, the playfulness at night makes it a fun to watch. They have no inhibitions and their love is something they think no one will understand. Watching the gentle, quiet and intense feelings that ripple between between Elio and Oliver reminded me so much of my teenage days and was getting goose flesh. There are no graphic sex scenes but at the same time the love scenes are heartbreaking and intensely erotic all at once. No one will forget the peach scene. The romance takes its peak. Oliver, though more confident and experienced is wiling to let go and be in moment for Elio, whereas Elio is just enjoying every single moment because he is young, he knows this is not going to last long. And when he calls his mother asking her to pick him up from station, I felt so sorry.. so so sorry. There is nothing worse than yearning for love at such a tender age. We know its not going to end well, everyone does, but that piece of advice from Elio’s father is exactly what the young heart needed. A reaffirmation of what he did was right, what he felt was pure and to always cherish that summer. And then that last scene! overtime I think of it, I cant even bring to imagine how Elio pulled it off. Thats reason enough for him to get nominated for Oscars.
A very emotional, sensual, romantic and delicate film and story. Needless to say that this is highly recommended. Now I need to get my hands on the book and read that as well. I have a feeling I am going to like it. (9/10)
Comments
Yeah yeah it's because it takes place in Italy's 19 century and otherwise it cannot be realistic since everything went so well for them, no violence no reject no sickness or dying. Something had to be bad in this (too ?) perfect setting. For me Oliver is the one holding on, because is really aware and worried about society judgement. Elhio live more in a bubble of acceptation and tolerance. Oh gosh this movie give me the wish to become trilingual. And this peach scene the epitome of sensuality and erotism. Love dad's speech too
I will also give a 9 since the ending didn't feel as real as the rest of the movie, Oliver just giving up like this doesn't convince me. C'mon humankind tend to fight especially for what they love.
There is a theory about the enorme narcism of this love : Oliver and Elhio are the same, educated guy higher than the general "mass" even the intellectual one because, them, they know how to live life (socialize not stuck into their book)at least in the movie. They fall in love with each other they fall in love with themselves, they shag themselve. They have such a high esteem of themselves that they cannot fall this hard for someone totally different. I find this theory quite dark and harsh but at the same time i cannot get it out my head.