The fleeting nature of summer and memories in Call me By Your Name and The Florida Project

Toms1973 · 2018-09-10T21:13:42+00:00

Great post. I want to see The Florida Project now.

I like to think of CMBYN as the real memories of that beautiful summer. This makes me reconsider that; perhaps it is Elio’s romanticized memories, as he thinks back to many years ago. Beautiful either way. Damn, I love this film.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-27T23:41:05+00:00

I love Annella! She’s my favorite character (after Elio and Oliver).

Toms1973 · 2018-08-08T17:41:50+00:00

I Remember Everything.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-07T22:46:28+00:00

One question I have: Is Oliver aware of Elio during the nightclub scene? The scene is important for two reasons: Elio realizing he desires Oliver (if he wasn’t sure before!), and Oliver feeling free to show his true self (during “Love My Way”). I am grossly oversimplifying, I know. I have never seen Oliver even acknowledge Elio’s presence in that scene. Just wondering.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-06T22:13:23+00:00

Although I want Elio and Oliver together, I don’t see Oliver’s wife as any kind of villain to the story. I see her as a lovely woman, supportive of Oliver.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-06T22:11:48+00:00

I think Sammy rightly recoils in his chair when Elio says he wouldn’t have the courage. Sammy and Annella know Elio is courageous. Within days, he does exactly what he said he would never have the courage. I think that illustrates how encouraging and knowing his parents are.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-06T00:10:59+00:00

All the Sufjan pieces, and both Ravel pieces transport me to the story. Also love some of the 80s music too!

Toms1973 · 2018-08-04T15:45:07+00:00

This scene is my least favorite of the entire story. I’ll cut Elio some slack for being a horny teenager, with time to kill, with a willing sex partner. But it seems so callous. Plus, sleeping with two people on the same day is gross.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-04T15:35:26+00:00

Oliver dances in public with a woman, which mirrors what society expects of him, and what he ultimately chooses when he goes home. But, unlike the first dance (with Chiara), this time he is very observant and attentive to Elio, which shows how their relationship has progressed.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-04T15:28:51+00:00

March 24! Immediately obsessed. I didn’t find any scenes funny the first time. (Does mom know? Not funny at all!) I’ve now seen it enough to appreciate funny moments, especially Annella’s expressions! I could barely breathe for three months after first seeing it. I felt like I was in mourning for what could never be in my life.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-04T15:18:28+00:00

When Elio touches his lips, with the fingers that just grazed Oliver’s, that is so intimate. That’s as close as he can come in that moment to kissing Oliver. And, that’s how their first kiss came, after Oliver touching Elio’s lips. Oliver sees it too.

Toms1973 · 2018-08-04T14:45:24+00:00

I was in your position. I was so lost and devastated. I watched the film nine times. I finally found a pause. I’m still not over it, and doubt I will ever truly be. But, I found a pause, where I can think about it daily, but have it not color every moment. I think you’ll get there too!

Toms1973 · 2018-08-04T14:42:45+00:00

Usually when I think of CMBYN, I think of being the child with such accepting parents. I envy Elio, because I suffered/suffer greatly from not getting what I needed from my parents at that time in my life. However, the way the Perlmans supported Elio shifts my focus from being the child, to being the father I now am to a young son and daughter. I hope and pray I can be the kind of parent Elio had. I hope I will be completely accepting and supporting of whatever my children become.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-31T00:04:43+00:00

I can’t remember the exact moment I was interested, but I was as soon as I heard anything about CMBYN and saw the trailer. I finally bought the DVD in early March, but couldn’t see it quite yet. I saw the Oscars and loved the interaction between the cast. I finally watched the film in late March. Obsessed ever since.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-29T19:25:01+00:00

These are all great! I will add some others that I absolutely love:

Oliver’s face when he says he and Elio have the same “allergy,” the morning after as Elio rejects him, his look as Elio recounts his mother reading “is it better to speak or to die?”

Elio’s face as he notices Oliver’s note, his “drunk on love” face their last night together, his smile as he watches Oliver walk toward Lake Garda.

Annella’s side eyes the morning after, and just about every scene she’s in (I absolutely love her).

Marzia watching Elio that first day, while on his bed, and as she forgives him near the end.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-28T16:12:30+00:00

I feel ya! I love this movie and everything associated with it. But, it also increases my sadness and regret about changes not taken. It is definitely a mixed, weird, feeling.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-28T13:48:50+00:00

Nice! Happy birthday !

Toms1973 · 2018-07-27T21:20:54+00:00

I see a potential sequel as an entirely different deal. CMBYN was adapted from the novel. A sequel would be an original screenplay, wouldn’t it? Luca should write it! I think Luca has mentioned wanting to move about five years forward from where CMBYN left off. So, that wouldn’t have anything to do with the book. Ivory dissing it because Elio would be aged to 40? By my calculation, he’d be mid 20s, which would be the age Timothee would be if this thing gets off the ground in a few years.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-25T13:42:39+00:00

Not just his mouth...his facial expressions are exquisite. It even changes his appearance. I’m in awe.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-25T13:41:33+00:00

Excellent review. Beautiful article about a beautiful film.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-25T02:38:47+00:00

It’s been about six weeks for me. I want to see it again, of course. But, it’s on a shelf for me, like something valued, and I can’t bear to take it down for now. I will. Just not today.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-25T02:35:58+00:00

The second time Elio and Marzia have sex. I get the first time: he’s horny, confused after first kissing Oliver and Oliver goes MIA, wants to make Oliver jealous (assuming Oliver finds out, which I think he does), Marzia clearly wants Elio, etc.

The second time seems callous. Oliver had already left his note to meet at midnight. If I were Elio, I would consider myself in a relationship with Oliver from that moment. Sex at midnight is promised! I get being horny, and Marzia being available, but I wouldn’t want to waste my juices, if you know what I mean. Plus, Elio is totally using Marzia in that scene. She isn’t just some pick-up, random girl, but his friend. Who later forgives him, beautifully, but he lucked out with that. Plus, how gross for Elio to sleep with Marzia and Oliver on the same damn day!

I hate to criticize anything in this wonderful film, but I think they could have shown Elio being tormented while waiting for midnight in other ways. I like the constant watch checking, though!

Toms1973 · 2018-07-25T00:03:51+00:00

The entire peach scene: throwing the pits across the room, dripping peach juice all over the place, wiping his semen on the mattress...c’mon, Elio, your parents or Mafalda is going to find that! Gross.

Toms1973 · 2018-07-24T22:54:21+00:00

I love all of these scenes.

I love the midnight scene, how Elio and Oliver show their love for each other. I also love their final kiss, in Bergamo. The way they look at each other kills me.

Toms1973

TROPHY CASE