Elio is the heart and soul of the story and Timothée Chalamet embodies the character in every sense of the word, bouncing between French, English and Italian in a single conversation, playing the piano in long takes in the style of three different classical composers. He even gives American Pie a more artsy run for its money with regard to the sexual destruction of fruit-based items. Chalamet makes every emotion land, and when you’re not focusing on him, you’re looking at Armie Hammer, who gives far and away the best performance of his career here. The chemistry between the two of them was heartfelt, palpable, and completely genuine. You walk away from the film feeling as if you truly knew them, and you’re equally sad to see them go. Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar also provide excellent supporting performances, especially Stuhlbarg who delivers a poignant monologue near the film's end that ties everything together in a perfect and sensible way.

Early on, you’re made aware of the element of time that plays the villain in this tale of love, and can pretty much guess the ending, but yet it still manages to floor you. It’s a film of resinous nature that sticks to you long after it’s over, and makes you want to revisit this transformative summer in Elio’s young life almost immediately. I think there’s so much undeniable splendor to the film that it’ll manage to win just about anyone over, even if you don’t agree with the film politically, which is a true testament to its power.

The only discouraging part of the film is the talks of Guadaginino doing a sequel. Call Me By Your Name is too strong a film that I fear a sequel will mar its perfection. It just feels like a story that doesn’t need to be explored further. Surely, Guadagnino couldn’t enchant us all again, right? I guess only time will tell.

Rating: 5 apricots outta 5.