At the commencement of each new year, it’s almost as if a slew of new movies hits the box office. Sometimes, they’re so numerous that they blend together, failing to truly stand out and make the mark they might have made with a better timed release. However, it would be impossible to say that “Call Me By Your Name” failed to make an impression on its audiences. 
Directly based on the novel with the same name by author Andre Aciman, “Call Me By Your Name” was directed by Luca Guadagnino, featuring a screenplay written by James Ivory. Corresponding to the setting of the book, it takes place in Lombardy, Italy, in the summer of 1983. The movie’s starring roles are taken by Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer, with appearances by Esther Garrel, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Amira Casar.
The story unfolds as 17-year-old Elio (Chalamet) begins his summer at his family’s luxe 17th century villa, engaging in not only his typical hobbies of classical music and flirtation, but also indulging in the average teen activities: partying, swimming, reading, and gorging himself on the rich culture and natural beauty of his surroundings. His parents are both intellectual and doting, bestowing him with a lifestyle that could spawn jealousy in any viewer’s heart.
At first, it would appear that Elio is particularly mature for his age, even highly sophisticated. Upon the arrival of the older, handsome Oliver (Hammer) however, this is disproven. An American student striving for his doctoral degree, Oliver is an intern for Elio’s father, a renowned history professor. 
Over the course of the summer, Elio discovers the haze of first love as he and Oliver become enraptured with one another. By the end of the film, Elio’s previous innocence, when it comes to matters of the heart, has been altered as he learns what it means to love and to be heartbroken. 
The film came into the works just over a decade ago in 2007, once producers Peter Spears and Howard Rosenman attained the screen rights to Aciman’s work. Guadagnino was not the initial intended director of the movie with Ivory originally poised to co-direct, but after starting out as solely a location consultant, Guadagnino wound up as director with Ivory composing the screenplay.
The film was primarily shot in Crema, Italy, with breathtaking natural scenery and quintessential Italian architecture. The backdrop of the story only enriches the plot itself, intensifying the beauty of the piece. The soundtrack features an eventual award winning original song “Mystery of Love.” Following its initial release in the United Kingdom in 2017, both Hammer and Chalamet were nominated for awards. The screenplay itself was also up for Best Adapted Screenplay, and according to author Aciman was “direct, real, and persuasive.” Although those who read the novel will note small differences in the on screen adaptation, the variances are easily digestible—an uncommon feat in book to screen adaptations. 
Overall, “Call Me By Your Name” is heady and captivating, with a stunning backdrop to a heartbreaking tale that makes for a unique bildungsroman.