Handsome and attractive, he seems initially unaware of the effect he has on his host family and commands also the viewer’s attention with his sheer physical presence. He sets out to conduct doctoral studies as an intern for Mr Perlman and seduces everyone with his appealing masculinity, his foreign charm and intellect.

Smoothly interrupting the predictability of everyday holiday existence 24-year-old Jewish-American scholar Oliver (a suave Armie Hammer) steps into the narrative at the very early stages. The multilingual trio of Jewish heritage engage in fluid conversations where they effortlessly switch between Italian, French, and English. We are transported to an Italian idyll where we first meet precocious adolescent Elio (played by dynamic actor Timothée Chalamet whose character has been called a “force of nature”) and his open-minded parents Mr and Mrs Perlman (played by Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar) holidaying in their 17th century villa. John Adams’ rapid piano piece Hallelujah Junction - First Movement accompanies this initial visual mosaic.

These images set the tone for the narrative to follow. It is perhaps particularly significant for Australian audiences who only last year saw gay marriage rights finally successfully included in the political agenda.Ĭall Me by Your Name begins with images of Greco-Roman sculptures where the opening credits are superimposed over seductive naked male bodies. This pastoral summer landscape, in turn, enhances the gradually heightened emotions of the protagonists and the film becomes a welcome contribution to the celebration of love between members of the same sex. A soundtrack including various singers and composers is so haunting and effective that music as an accompaniment to images of a breathtaking scenery becomes a character in its own right. These being themes we can all relate to, Guadagnino’s fifth feature film engages and captivates, it presents the viewer a story that reads like a poem and we readily identify with the feelings of the two male protagonists emotions that cut deep and are ultimately universal. The film also explores the transitory nature of human existence and themes like youth and ageing, loss and heartache, religious affiliation, affinity and faith, and parental, marital, as well as both male and female bonding.

Chiamami col tuo nome by André Aciman