None of these time markers will
be accurate for the time you are reading this post but I promise they were at the time of writing. Earlier this evening, I went to the cinema by
myself for the very first time, to see the 5:35pm screening of Call Me By Your
Name at the beautiful Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle.
It is now 9:19pm and I feel
compelled to write down my thoughts.
I have been looking forward to
Call Me By Your Name for what seems like ages. I saw the trailer about three months
ago and I instantly loved the look of it. There’s a beautiful song playing in
the background, it’s a gay love story, it’s set in Europe, it co-stars Armie
Hammer – honestly I couldn’t see any reason why I wouldn’t love it.
I largely forgot about it until about three weeks ago when I saw another advert for it and suddenly realised it was coming out four days later. I had just assumed that it would be a 2018 release when I first saw the trailer and that was one of the reasons I hadn’t let myself get too excited about it. I found out it was adapted from a novel and (even though I was absolutely broke at the time) I bought it the next day.
I devoured the book in two days.
The only reason it took me TWO days is because there was a very obvious point
where I knew reading any further was going to break my heart and therefore I
made the decision to save crying on public transport on my way to work for
another day and left it at home instead.
The book is very real. I know
that’s not a very good way of describing a novel (my English literature degree
is currently crying at that choice of phrasing) but it’s the most accurate way
I can think to describe it. It made me feel a lot of things and not just for
the characters; it opened a hell of a lot of wounds and unzipped a few mind-suitcases
I had mentally sat on to make sure they shut in the first place. I cried
solidly for about two hours after I finished the novel, not just for Elio and
Oliver but also for myself and I’m not even sure I could tell you why. Reading
it was a release.
Novels like that are rare and it made me look forward to the film all the more.
It took me much too long to
actually get round to seeing the film. I kept chickening out for a number of
reasons. I’ve been working so much recently that my only free time was after
work and I kept deciding I was too tired and that I’d go another day. I was
originally going to go with a friend or my mum but after reading the novel I
decided I wanted to see it alone but the thought of doing this (which I’ve
actually wanted to do since I was 17 but hey it took me five years) filled me
with anxiety so I’d put it off because of that too. I finally committed to
going to see the film on Friday but the tiny screening sold out and I failed to
buy a ticket in time.
So I finally booked a ticket
last night and after work I made the short journey into Newcastle city centre
and did the very scary thing of going to the cinema by myself.
The film was everything I could
have wanted and more.
It was raw and imperfect and
authentic and I believed every second of it. I don’t think anyone could ever
be accused of praising Call Me By Your Name too highly. The dialogue flowed, Timothée
Chalamet and Armie Hammer disappeared and Elio and Oliver were brought to life, the settings
were stunning, the cinematography was flawless, the soundtrack was perfectly
complementary, it stayed very true to the feel of the book and Timothée
Chalamet’s performance as Elio was Oscar worthy.
There were a number of things I
was sad to see left out of the film but at the same time, I wouldn’t want the
film to change in any way now that I've actually seen it. A favourite character in the novel was erased from
the film and while I would have loved her scenes to have made it in, the really
important parts of her were still present, just portrayed through other
characters instead.
I was also interested to see
how they would do the last section of the book and I was a bit surprised that
it was omitted entirely, although I understand why as it would have been
difficult to achieve well. This sort of changed the tone of the ending in my opinion
but the final scene as the film closed to credits was one of the most stunning
endings of any film I’ve ever seen. For that reason, I’m quite happy for the book and the film
to standalone, as similar as they may have stayed in other aspects of the
story.
I was worried about seeing this
on the big screen by myself because the novel had made me so emotional and I am
the absolute worst person when it comes to crying at films because I essentially lose all control over my emotions. Despite this, I did manage
to hold it all in apart from one solitary tear at the end of the film. I then
walked out the screen, sat on a bench by myself in the cinema while I gathered
my thoughts (the cinema has a lot of winding corridors so I found a secluded
spot) and then I locked myself in a toilet cubicle and had a bit of a cry.
Overall, I would say my lone
cinema trip was a positive experience, one I would recommend and something I
will definitely be doing again. If it stays in cinemas for another week, I’ll
probably try and see Call Me By Your Name again. It is one of the best films
I’ve ever seen.
I would really recommend anyone
try and see this in a cinema if you catch it in time. Whether you regularly
watch queer films or have never seen one before, Call Me By Your Name is
falling in love in a film, it's that simple. I really think anyone will feel
something from this film, no matter how you identify. I watched it sitting next
to an elderly straight couple, so old that the man missed a step on the way out
of the seats and fell over (don't worry, he was fine and his wife thought it was hilarious) and if they could get through THAT peach scene, then anyone
can.
And my number one
recommendation for anyone who wants to get the most out of this beautiful love
story is to read the book. I think through the process of reading this blog
post you have probably got the gist of how much I loved the film but the book
really was something else. I don’t think I could pick one over the other
because they work so well as a pairing but the book gives you a much more in
depth insight and understanding into what goes on and most importantly, a
completely different ending. The film essentially finishes with 50 pages still
left in the book. I understand the decision to do so but I’m so glad I got to
read those last 50 pages.
Just trust me, go see the film.
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