I knew very little about this. But what I saw briefly in the trailers looked highly promising.
Going into this, I was fearing it would fall into the category of 'appreciating the craft' and nothing more. But in the end, I was really impressed by this.
It is a slow-burner, and at almost 2hrs 15mins in duration, you really need to give this time. But trust me, it is worth it for a such romance.
Timothee Chalamet is an absolute star in this. You might remember him from having a minor role in Interstellar. But this leading role is his true breakthrough. His strong and influential performance can almost make you see this film as a coming-of-age drama.
Chalamet's romantic chemistry with Armie Hammer is some of strongest I have seen in some time. I have always thought Hammer as a super talented actor. I just don't think he gets the credit he deserves. He's brilliant in The Social Network and showed his blockbuster chops well in The Lone Ranger I felt.
I wasn't too sure about Mark Stuhlbarg's performance for almost all of the film. That is until he gives an almighty speech towards the end that could be one of the most powerful scenes of the year.
The only other performance that was worth mentioning was Esther Carrel's. She showed great potential and I hope this her breakthrough outside of European cinema and into some films with wider range.
The cinematography in general was right on the money. It had lots of close-up shots and the feel of intimacy really elevated the situations for the better.
Also, the way the Italian architecture and landscape was shot instantly made me what to discover that part of the world. It looked fabulous.
However, there were times were I was thinking "how do these characters live the life they lead when they don't seem to be earning anything to get all this nice stuff?". It will make sense when you watch it. Thankfully, the strength of the romance in this story kept distracting me from that problem that I found for the most part.
This is such a sensual romance drama and easily one of the most powerful of its genre I have seen for some time. As I mentioned before, it can also be seen as a coming-of-age drama and coming from either of those viewpoints, it still makes a really moving viewing experience.
I really hope this gets recognised in the major awards, especially for Chalamet's performance.
Rating: 8/10
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