damn, unexpecteded amazing. one of the most impactful watching expereinces of my life. 10/10
some things i loved (full of spoilers):
- the cinematography was wonderful. i dont usually notice this sort of thing but it was pecularly shot and i often found myself considering what i was looking at because of the lingering of the shots. it just looked great.
- The vibes of the movie were incredible. The Italian summer, all the swimming and the dances and older music. them spending a lot fo time on intellectual pursuits with love inbetween. Makes you wish for another life living a small italian town reading books all day and dancing at night.
- one of my favourite scenes is Elio coming out to Oliver. it was incredibly subtle and almost nothing was said out loud, the scene operated purely on intuition and feeling. I usually don't like this sort of thing but it was handled so expertly here through setup and timing that i fell in love with the scene. this was made even better by the fact that when Oliver walks off and Elio hovers around, the camera pans up a random beautiful building near them. This was great cinematography, great vibes, great writing. and then the incredibly long shot of the nature as they cycled away to let you contemplate what happened. loved it.
- the ending made me think of youth and how love can be so temporary. it is lived onced and then it is over and you live the rest of your life having loved and in a way always continuing to. love is often thought of as common but for the people living it it is the most extraordinary thing. it was bittersweet and i really felt it.
criticisms:
- I didn't really love the age/experience difference between the leads was often offputting. For a while i couldnt really shake the pedo vibes and it ruined some of the film. I eventually managed to overcome it a bit, but why does the movie require me to do so to enjoy it in the first place?
- some of the bratty behaviour of Elio was cringy
- the leadup to the relationship and their first moments as a couple were incredibly convincing, but once they got together the portrayal of their relationship was very brief. makes me feel like i didn't really see it except the kissing and sex and stuff and it hinders the emotional impact of the story
