This is a film that stimulates the senses. It takes place in Italy, in the summer, in 1983. You can feel the sweat beading on your neck and navel, you can hear the trickle of fountains and the chirping of birds, you can smell the apricots in the trees and the summer breeze skipping across the watering holes. This is a film that transports you into its atmosphere. It’s a film that makes you feel what its characters feel. It’s a film that feels like a memory, of restless youth, of foreign emerging emotions, of curiosity and beauty and excitement and sometimes sadness. Like all coming of age movies, it’s a film that deals with the confusion of growing up. And the film’s director, Luca Guadagnino, is an expert in zeroing in on the very personal experience of young Elio (Timothée Chalamet) as he learns who he is, or who he could be. And even if his experiences are not your own, you feel like you’re a part of this world.

I had reservations about one aspect of this film: Armie Hammer. Chalamet is the perfect choice for Elio. But Armie Hammer seems so much older, so much more mature, that I worried the interaction between the two, especially given the sensual nature of the relationship, would come off as creepy. But it works. I don’t know how. But it somehow does. Guadagnino does a great job at accentuating the magnetic attraction between Elio and Oliver. I think part of the reason it works is that Elio is often more aggressive – so it doesn’t feel as if Oliver is improperly seducing him. Their relationship comes about naturally, aided by Elio’s accepting, forward-thinking family and an unbelievably beautiful environment (Italy is portrayed beautifully). What also seems to help is the fact that Elio is just generally curious about love and sex and emotion, regardless of age or gender or otherwise. And Oliver is too, actually. It feels much more complex, which in turn makes it feel much more authentic and relatable.

I really liked this movie. It made me long for summer, which is not an easy thing (I generally prefer the colder seasons). And of course it made me long for Italy. It has great music too, highlighted by one of my favorite artists, Sufjan Stevens.

It’s a beautiful film. One that drew me in and made me FEEL something. I’ve heard that Guadagnino is planning on making this a Before Sunrise-esque saga over the course of many years, following these two characters as they move through life. I think that’s a fine idea.

5 out of 5 stars