Call Me by Your Name

Director Luca Guadagnino chronicles the often conflicting coming-of-age urges of an introverted adolescent experiencing his first romance in this multi-Oscar-nominated film. Set in a picturesque 17th-century villa in a bucolic town near Lake Garda in northern Italy during the summer of 1983, the story centers on a dramatic conflict that erupts when restless 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) encounters 24-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer), a visiting American graduate student. Ostensibly there to help Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor of Greco-Roman culture, the confident and curious Oliver casually befriends capricious Elio, not realizing that his presence awakens Elio's youthful ardor. Although both Elio and Oliver have dalliances with local women, an erotic, clandestine attraction soon develops between the two. Adapted by James Ivory from Andre Aciman's 2007 novel, the film is a showcase for Best Actor nominee Chalamet, who exhibits heartbreakingly raw awkwardness, coupled with infectious enthusiasm. Subtly stirring and sensitive, this film about a sensuous summer that alters a boy's life is recommended. (S. Granger)