Thursday, March 28, 2024

Oscar Buzzed Gay Love Story Oscar Opens Toronto Film Festival Features Sex with Peach

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Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” might become known as “Brokeback Biscotti” or “Peachtree Mountain.” But this sensitively told gay love story set in Italy in 1983 has been a huge hit tonight as one of the opening night films of the Toronto Film Festival. It may also cause a stir because one of the characters has sex with a peach. Superior acting, especially from Michael Stuhlbarg as the most understanding and insightful parent in history. A beautiful hit.

Even though it’s set in 1983, “Call Me By Your Name” is going to resonate in 2017 with a lot of different people — but most likely young people in this new environment where it’s okay to be whomever you want. Michael Stuhlbarg is American and Jewish, and a professor of archeology who lives in Northern Italy with his Italian-French wife and son Elio (Chalamet) in a ramshackle country home. Into this comes a new assistant from the US, Oliver (Hammer), who’s like a shining Robert Redford-ish matinee idol.

It’s almost a set up. The parents seem to understand without discussing it that Elio– who is a gifted musician– is likely gay. They almost assign Oliver to Elio and watch their relationship grow– even as Elio struggles with his feelings and attempts to woo a local girl who has a crush on him. That’s the basic scenario as the relationship between the teen and the young assistant blossoms.

SPOILER as Armie Hammer pointed out to me after the screening at a party at STK in Toronto, no one dies, no one gets AIDS or is punished for  being gay. And an unexpected speech by Stuhlbarg toward the end of the film is so moving that it legitimizes the entire film and everything you’ve seen up to that point. It’s quite brilliant and should earn Stuhlbarg an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actor. Whether you’re straight or gay. it’s a moment like no other in film. Bravo.

As for the peach– well, let’s just say that produce has never  had a moment like this in movies. Luckily, by November when the movie opens, peaches will mostly be out of season. Otherwise Stop and Shop would be having a problem.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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