A touching and affecting coming of age story by Luca Guadagnino that exuded sensuality without overt sexuality and effortlessly showcased the emotional turbulence of First Love. Beautifully crafted, the film is intensely powerful in its languidity as Timothée Chalamet commanded our attention as we cycled with him through the emotional turmoil that is adolescence. Chalamet fell into his character with natural ease, perfectly embodying the 17-years old in all his youth, energy, confusion, naïveté and passion. He will surely get a nomination, but would he win? Was he acting or was he just playing a role that was him? Either of which, he deserves recognition. Playing opposite him, Armie Hammer had the best role of his career; believable in his capacity as the older, more worldly-wised man. But for all the film's honesty, sensuality and beauty, the chemistry between Chalamet and Hammer lacked the enigmatic passion that would have made this a love story for the ages. Instead, the coming of age aspect trumped the romance as Guadagnino and writer James Ivory focused - and rightly so - on Chalamet. Chalamet's POV was the focus of the film and as the audience we are part of it but only through his eyes and his heart (and also sneakily acknowledged by Guadagnino and Chalamet in the final moments). And from that perspective, this film was a triumph. Kudos too to Michael Stuhlbarg for his supporting turn and that beautiful monologue at the end
No comments:
Post a Comment