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Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Cathartic, insightful, thought-provoking
This movie is bound to resonate with many young people struggling with adolescent crushes and identity questions--as well as with adults reflecting on their own identity development.
Timothy Chalamet is convincing, with androgynous charm that melds innocence and yearning and passionate intensity. Setting aside the vapid expectation that a movie directly correspond to a book, I think we can overlook the apparent age discrepancy between Armie Hammer and the character he portrays. Hammer's more mature Oliver suits and shapes the movie. And he does it well, with the kind of insouciant regard for young Ellio that might be expected for an adult indulging himself in a ripe peach or an unexpected tryst with a young man slightly more than half his age.
Some bits stand out. Would that we all had fathers like Ellio's, played by the estimable Michael Stuhlbarg, who give us room to explore our identities without judgement. Yet it cannot be overlooked that Ellio's identity struggle, his fear of being caught, his yearning to be with (and belong to) Oliver happens despite his father's calm acceptance. Perhaps we are to learn that the deep existential angst of adolescence is inevitable, even if we have supportive families--though how much harder it would have been had Ellio's father responded with rage and violence, as so many young people continue to experience.
It is in this context of Ellio's adolescent ego development that the title of the movie raises complex questions. What are we to make of such a highly intelligent adult, with his own well-established identity, who tells his young lover to "call me by your name"? Is Oliver seeking to reclaim some part of his own youthful identity by switching identities? Or is he knowingly stroking the younger man's natural predisposition to see himself at the center of the universe? Perhaps both. Either way, life--and ego development--go on for Ellio, and the pain of Oliver's ultimate betrothal to a woman marks an inflection point in his path to adulthood.
Demonhuntr (2021)
Sexy, clever, and deliciously unhinged
Never underestimate the power of a clever script, smart actors, and a well-matched score to deliver a whole lotta laughs in a compact package. (Not to mention a good deal of eye candy.) Tell us there's a season 2!