Just when I figured they had ran out of original ideas for a summer romance movie, director Luca Guadagnino created the cinematic masterpiece that is “Call Me by Your Name.”

Set in Lombardy, Italy, in the summer of 1983, the film follows a friendship that blossoms into something more between Elio Perlman and doctoral student Oliver. Elio’s family hosts Oliver, played by Armie Hammer, for the summer in their 17th century Italian villa. The two spend the summer getting to know each other and can’t help but develop feelings for one another.

Timothée Chalamet’s character, Elio, is a 17-year-old boy whose hobbies include reading and composing music. With one of the characters having such a passion for music, it is no shock that the movie itself has an incredible soundtrack to go along with the story. Throughout the film you hear whimsical ballads, classical music and a few 80’s favorites. Every song matches the mood and the setting of the film at the time.  

Oliver, played by Armie Hammer, is a 27-year-old doctoral student interning with Elio’s father for the summer. While he may be there for archaeological purposes, he still finds time for swimming, long bike rides through town and of course, some late night dancing. Armie Hammer credits his dance move that I could only describe as a “psycodelic-charlie brown” to late night filming and exhaustion. The carefree dancing that came out of it is among the many things that made this movie so naturally enjoyable.

The raw and innocent love that blooms between the two is a breath of fresh air. The story of their love isn’t over-dramatized or harshly labeled. It is the story of two humans falling in love in the simplest of ways. At the start of the summer it is obvious that there is more between the two, with shared glances and a touch here or there, but at the time, neither is ready to act. As the summer progresses, so do their feelings.

Both men are incredibly intelligent and the mixture of their intellect and interest makes for an exciting and thrilling summer love adventure, an adventure that started in the pages of a novel written by André Aciman. Before the book was even published in 2007, the screen rights were bought by producers Peter Spears and Howard Rosenman.

The producers went through more that three sets of writers and directors trying to make this movie great. They went through years of production and development and came out with a movie that became a film festival favorite and is expected to dominate the awards season. “Call Me by Your Name” is getting attention for not only its score and cinematography, but also for the work done by the actors.

The scene that has received the most attention is one involving Elio and his father, played by actor Michael Stuhlbarg. In the scene, Elio’s father approaches the subject of the relationship between the two men. He speaks highly of their friendship and says how many go all their lives hoping for something like what they have. Elio’s father encourages him to feel what needs to be felt. The scene is validation that their relationship is nothing less than extraordinary and draws raw emotion out of the viewer.

The simplicity in the story gives you the opportunity to relate to the characters and to their situation. The writers managed to execute a film of summer love, leaving out the cliches. Until the last credit rolls, you will be glued to your seat, hoping their relationship continues to crackle and burn long after the heat of the summer has passed.