Call Me by Your Name transports the audience to a new, fantastical setting in Northern Italy to (re)discover a first romance experience, only to suck them back into reality with a perfect wave of catharsis from losing that first romance.

Visually, Call Me by Your Name is stunning in every sense of the word. With the dream-like textures and lighting, every scene looks like a proper fairy tale memory projected upon reality. From the house in the countryside, to the town and its streets, the distinctive atmosphere cannot be missed. On simply these terms, Call Me by Your Name is quite an achievement.

Acting is subtle and precise, yet seemingly effortless by both Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer. Chalamet does not falter a single bit in the nuance of Elio's development throughout the movie. Starting from the outwardly introspective personality to the struggle with his feelings, Chalamet skates right through. Definitely worth the Oscar nomination. My only gripe with the acting isn't even something that is controllable by Hammer himself, but he, while fantastic in the role, does appear too old to be the 24yo graduate student he is meant to be.

In contrast to some other movies in the Oscars Best Picture lineup this year, Call Me by Your Name nails form over function. Plot is definitely present, but the approach to the nuance of a relationship like Elio and Oliver's definitely takes center stage. Incremental, but steady progress is shown through clearly, but not obviously, defined steps, touch, and interactions. Several scenes, while not directly having a cause and effect on the romantic relationship, purposefully show a bond growing, and, more importantly, a friendship growing between the two characters. A few scenes still sit in my head as unnecessary, but, overall, the film depicts the nuance of the relationship with more grace than many others would have.

Because I feel like I have to specifically mention this though, separate from the usual categories I do in a review, there are two scenes especially impactful. 1) Michael Stuhlbarg has one of the premier monologues in cinema (that I have seen) towards the end. 2) The ending credits beautifully bookend the film in such a way that I wouldn't even think possible. "Visions of Gideon" will be in your head for days.