So I went to see the gay movie. It didn’t take long to realize this was not a gay movie. It was not written by a gay man, the two leads were played by straight men, and even the actual “gay couple” in the movie weren’t gay. I mean one of them might have been, but one of the was the author of the book who identifies as straight and is married with children. I didn’t really know all of this before I went to see the movie.
I am on a movie kick lately as I try to go out into the world and away from my TV to go into a theatre alone and sit and watch movies. Shutup! It works for me. It occurs to me today that the three movies I most wanted to see were all coming of age movies. I, Tonya was by far the best of the bunch. Ladybird was just horrible, and Call Me By Your Name lands somewhere in the middle.
When it comes to the cinematic visuals Call Me By Your Name was simply stunning. The gay director really deserves to win something for this movie if he hasn’t already. Italy was so clean, at times it literally looked like a movie set. Everything just looked too perfect. The sweeping outdoor scenes were fabulous. The house was fabulous The settings were all magical.
The guy playing Elio was very good. He played the piano and the guitar and spoke English, French and Italian in the movie. He was very believable as a bisexual seventeen year old. The guy who played Oliver was awful. Was he supposed to be so unattractive, stiff (not in the good way) and unlikable? Was his weird ramrod posture supposed to be some sort of gay interpretation? He was the worst part of the movie. I think the reason that there was some backlash about the older man (24) with the seventeen year old was he was the oldest 24-year-old in the history of the world. How old is this guy, 38? Does he have a fused spine in real life? These thoughts distracted me the entire film. Also the guy that plays Elio’s dad looked a bit like Robin Williams Italian third cousin and that bothered me.
I loved the archaeology aspect and all the book reading and the train and the bike rides and the food, and the fruit orchard, though errr…. the nectarine scene could have been shorter.
The plot of this movie focuses on a summer romance. They always end and it can be a wistful goodbye, but that is just how summer romances go. They are a passionate, memorable trysts with a short duration, but with memories that last a lifetime. So the fact that there are rumors of a sequel are just ridiculous. And wrong.
I was pleasantly surprised by the end of this movie. I won’t spoil it but after Oliver goes back home, there are a couple of interesting conversations that happen. My bladder was about to EXPLODE and I made it all the way to the credits because I was intrigued. I did think the father was a bit clueless about his wife’s perceptive abilities though.
This was the last day for this movie in any theatre near me. I had to go to a non AMC theatre in the hinterlands to see it today. It was not really what I was expecting. There is a lot of sex, straight and gay. The movie is basically about Elio exploring his sexual identity. Some of that is always a bit uncomfortable when watching in a public place with only a dozen or so folks in the theatre. But if you do go, I suggest you forgo the popcorn. There are scenes that go on for almost ten minutes with no dialogue. You can hear a pin drop in these scenes and the sound of munching popcorn is deafening. Bring some gummy bears or something.
Oh and the guy that played Elio was one of Lady Bird’s boyfriend in that piece of crap movie. This one was better than that and would have been really good if some hot gay guy had played Oliver.
Did you see this movie? What did you think? Also, I still have a movie or two left on my giftcard. What should I see next? I am thinking about The Post but that is a long movie and perhaps a bit too close to reality these days…
I didn’t see it, and It sounds like the kind of movie someone would have to pay me a LOT of money to sit through.
I liked the Post, but I love films about newspapers.
The story itself vs our current reality didn’t even bother me, and I’m your Liberal West Coast Elite LGBT Snowflake friend, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. 🙂
I think that’s the most recent film I’ve seen, so I don’t have any more recommendations, but I’m glad you’re getting out and going to the theater! I’m a super hermit too, but I love to go to the movies at the 9-11am showings when there is no one there.
Also, I love that you’re reviewing movies now!
LOVED the Post.
Also loved I, Tanya.
Didn’t love the last two you saw either.
Get Out & The Shape of Water are also amazing movies. Get Out is back in theaters. If you get a chance to see it on the big screen, especially with a bunch of people, take it!
I saw Get Out on cable. It was good. But weird. BUT BETTER THAN LADY BIRD. But so was Animal House 3.
Call Me By Your Name was goodish. I liked it, I just thought they cast the wrong person for Oliver and that actor was HORRIBLE for the part.
My favorites…thank you movie pass…are Wonder, Greatest Showman and the Post. Three Billboards was pretty good as was I Tanya. LADYBIRD, Darkest Hour, Victoria and Abdul were ok
long time lurker here – your review is brilliant. I am still laughing at the popcorn and gummy bears.
I personally adored it, but totally agree about the older lead. I was shocked to find out the actor is 31, I assumed he was in his late 30’s too. Totally unbelievable as a 24 year old. My take was that the character was meant to be unlikeable, a somewhat self hating over achiever jock type, while our sympathies were meant to be with Elio, who I agree did a fantastic job.
TT, I love your film reviews. Please keep them coming! I think it’s fantastic you’re getting out in the world.
The Post is riveting. See it even if you did not live as I did. With all the attacks on journalists these days it is especially important to see how real newsmen work.
I’m so glad you hated Ladybird too! I kept waiting for it to get good and it never did. 3 Billboards was really good and thought provoking. Phantom Thread was weird as Hell!
Phantom Thread an3 Shape of Water were both weird.
I love your movie reviews! Did you see Three Billboards yet? I would love to get your take on that one.
CMBYN was okay… I was kind of bored. My boyfriend loved it, but I usually hate gay cinema and he adores it. I was distracted by the fact that the young guy looked 15, and the older guy looked, as you said, 38. There was a big physical mismatch and it made the entire thing kind of icky. Also, the peach scene probably should have been cut. That’s all I’ll say about that….
See 3 Billboards!
I liked 3 Billboards. The crowd I was with didn’t seem to realize that although the storyline was serious, it is indeed a dark comedy as well as a depiction of human frailty. The scene where the cop was reading the letter facing away from the window while the station was burning had me laughing so hard. I was the only one laughing at first and then a couple of other people laughed. Overall I’m not sure it’s the kind of movie everyone will “get”. And I absolutely LOVED the ending!!!
I did not enjoy the film. The whole premise of this young man finding summer love with an old man while his parents are downstairs made for a very uncomfortable experience. 3 billboards, the post, and get out are way better. The shape of water is my favorite though.
I’m glad you’re writing movie reviews now! I loved the Greatest Showman. Before that I saw Thor with some girlfriends. Not high art, but that Hemsworth kid, have mercy, and it was loud enough to scarf popcorn?
I actually loved it. The song played during the ending credits made me cry. I seriously didn’t even realize that he was only supposed to be 24!? So yeah, that was pretty weird casting.
Loved the review – haven’t seen it yet though. I can’t get over the fact that the guy who plays Oliver also played the twins in the Facebook movie (still in college, 8 years ago). He has looked 38 forever, and it will probably keep bothering me until he actually is 38. Just also want to add that there’s a great article by Beppe Severgnini, who is a writer that is actually from and still lives in Crema, the town where the movie was filmed. He gives a great description of how well the director (who is Siclian) portrayed Crema. I can’t wait to watch it and soak in the prettiness!
He was beautiful then, and he is beautiful now. Bite your tongue. Tsk.
😀 He’s definitely beautiful. But even when he did the Social Network and was closer to college age, I thought I he looked too old for it.
He’s only supposed to be twenty four? Jesus I thought it was something ridiculous and that’s why everyone was calling it the Gay Peadophile Movie.
Bloody hell, I was shacked up with a 38 year old when I was 18. Take a pill, America.
I have pants older than that age difference. Is this why everyone thinks the very real and true love between Frankie Catania and I should be verboten???
And look how well you turned out. You’re not an oversexed pervert who makes everything about sex at all! Clearly, there was no traumatic outcome for you!
Um, I believe that’s because I’m Catholic.
*humps chair leg*
I discovered your site just a few months ago so I could be wrong, but from what i’ve learned about you thus far, TT, I *really* think that you’ll like Three Billboards. I just finished watching it a few minutes ago and it’s really good! Funny, a bit dark, action-packed, and lots of twists and turns.
DId you watch it at home? Is it on cable somewhere?
Not that I know of. I think it’s only in theaters still.
I’m late to the post because I saw Call Me this early afternoon.
My friend and I thought we were the only ones who had a slight ick factor with the miscasting of Armie Hammer. Now, we think he’s just beautiful to look at and a decent actor, but before they hooked up he felt too old. (To their credit, we kind of forgot the age difference in their sex scenes).
Also, we thought there were a couple of false leads – the bruise that wouldn’t heal and the fact that it was set in 1983? We both briefly thought it was going to become very serious about AIDS, and with everything else it felt like a story that might have been controversially told in the 90s.
I know nothing about the book, but I do know the screenplay was written by a gay man, James Ivory. Very much in tune with some Merchant Ivory films!!!
I have an issue with James Ivory and all the rest getting awards for adapting a book into a movie and then being considered the writer of the “screenplay” Ivory was the director and the only gay man with a significant role in the movie’s production.
The backlash over the lack of acknowledgement of the Aids Epidemic going on at the time was fairly large in the gay community who either thought the book was THE GAY BIBLE or something or thought it was ignoring the AIDS crisis and that the movie perpetuated the gay predator thing. I was fine with the relationship in the movie. I just thought it was boring and Armie was incredibly poorly cast.
I fear that the unfortunate sequel is likely to be the AIDS stuff that was ignored. PLEASE GOD LET ME BE WRONG>