#Brokeback Oliver’s version

[mikereads]

We are winning today huh. How does it feel huh? How does it feel.

[cxncordia]

This new wave of Queer cinema worries me a bit.

I'm talking things like Saltburn, Fellow Passengers and All of Us Strangers.

It worries me because, while beautiful to look at, it's a beautiful package wrap around one very detrimental idea: gays are not okay.

I'm gonna spoil a bit here. Ignore the list if you haven't seen any of these movies:

Saltburn is the story of Oliver, a guy that at first glance is shown that is experiencing the worst crush of his life on Felix, a beautiful English boy that he just can't have... and thus he starts this strange journey to get him, only to reveal to us that it was never Felix whom he wanted, but the Saltburn state where most of the story happens.

Fellow Passengers shows a beautiful love story of these two men who keep on being lovers through the ages and shows the audience what it means to be gay through a moment in time very difficult, because as they deal with externalized homophobia, they deal with internalized homophobia.

All of Us Strangers, while I haven't watched it, I have read that the basic idea is that Adam (Scott) is a screenwriter who runs into Harry (Mescal) who seems to make him open up and become vulnerable. And then they seem to move back to Adam's house where his parents are still living.

Now, I don't want to extrapolate over something so silly and superficial. But it worries me that these are the new "wave" of queer cinema. Because underneath it all, the basic conflict is that being gay is somehow linked to these problems of internalized shame and regret. While not explicitly villainizing homosexuality, we don't have the counterpart on the industry. We don't have homosexuals we can look up to and when we do, they are wrapped in the police and government propaganda idyllic world that serves the powers to be. (yes, I'm talking about you, Tarlos).

And yes, that's true. We gay men go through shame and regret more punctually than straight men do: because the world was not constructed for us so we have to learn to navigate the fact that we "look" the part but we "aren't" the part. We become performatic and we fill the gap between ourselves and the very large mask we use with shame.

But straight men have something we don't: an array of power fantasies at the tip of their fingers where their sexuality is not even questioned, put into consideration or a source of shame. Some other factors may be questioned, but never their sexuality. Rebel Moon comes out in December 21st and it's a testosterone-filled action movie with male actors and male characters that have not their sexuality questioned in this imaginary universe. Aquaman 2 comes out around the same time and it also features straight masculine acting men who do not have to worry about one ounce on how gay they look.

And that's the problem.

Every gay media I watch that gets to the mainstream is "woe is me and I'm gay". Even stuff that's supposed to make you feel good (Heartstopper or Smiley) has that component of internalized shame. And I get it, many of us who have come now into economic power and who are main consumers lived a time where shame was the norm.

But it's time to stop that. And also, is time to stop telling the gays that come behind us that they have to suffer this.

It's been more than 20 years since I fist watched Queer As Folk (the British version with a twink Charlie Hunnam) and we are still dealing with the same tropes, the same stories, the same ideas.

Where are the hyper-masculine gay super heroes? Or even better yet: the fat and femme gay super heroes?

The romantic and endearing fantasy princes looking for their own prince?

The fantasy hero based on the monomyth who faces his father as a representation of the Patriarchy that has stomped on him?

Where are they?

I'm just... tired.

Tired that in 20 something years we still have the same shit and we don't seem to move beyond Queer as Folk and Brokeback Mountain type of stories. And when we do present something new they are bogged down and ignored in the corporate shitty streaming world that only cares about how much money it can pull out from our pockets. Like that supernatural show (Astrid and Lily Save the World) with two plus size lesbian main characters.

I mean, it's amazing to see Andrew Scott get it going with Paul Mescal, and to see Jonathan Bailey suck Matt Bomer's toes is a first... but I need something more. Something different. Something were the character's sexuality isn't questioned or a source of shame, but a worthy, proud, and unapologetic trait of the main character who also has fun in the movie.

I want joyful gay stories that celebrate my sexuality. I want simple gay stories. I want happy gays.

Isn't that what the term is supposed to mean in the first place?

[louisdotmp3]

“the swan” - mary oliver

[ratingtheframe]

10 Films to watch this Valentine’s Day if you’re single as hell.

If anyone or anything is making you feel worthless on the Capitalist Holiday that is Valentine’s Day because you’re single AF, then don’t fret because it means one of two things;

You’re happy enough with yourself to not need anyone else.

You’re allergic to people.

Though mine is both the former and the latter, I can still get down to a good romance movie now and again. Now I’m not talking about those horrendous rom coms that Netflix seems to be churning out every damn minute, but those emotionally invested, earthy and well written dramas that has you ugly crying into your bathrobe for 17 minutes straight (me at the end of Her.). Here is a compiled list of some of the best romance films I’ve seen over the years and how each one doesn’t showcase an abundance of clichés and brands them as “acts of love”.

A Star is Born (2018 or 1953, take your pick)

I’ve found that both the 1953 version of A Star is Born with Judy Garland and the 2018 newer version to be a perfect and well rounded love story. What makes this love story so fierce is the vulnerabilities and downfall of its characters, which even though there are many sad moments, it perpetuates and strengthens the acts of love shown in the film. Both versions are similar in that they follow a woman who’s rise to fame as a performer becomes overshadowed by her jealous partner, who is also a notable celebrity. In the 2018 version starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Gaga’s character Ally is helped by a country singer, Jackson Maine to become a successful singer and icon amongst the music industry. As she rises, Jackson falls and the character dynamics and intensity between them is a fitting love story. I was thoroughly bawling at the end and I guarantee you will too as Lady Gaga’s rendition of Love Again was the true scene stealer of the film. 

Call me by your name (2017)

I have an incredible bias towards this film and it has nothing to do with the film’s context or characters or even Timothée Chalamet The reason why I feel so connected to this film and proclaim it as my favourite film of all time is because of when I watched the film. It’s almost like seeing a film about a political event right after it's happened; you have this rush and connection towards something that’s actually affected you in the real world. I had the same feeling with Call me by your name after going through a rough and confusing patch whilst trying to get over someone I thought I truly loved. Turns out I didn’t (thank god) and yet Call me your name was almost like a shoulder to cry on. It’s a film that’s taught me to love and love hard but most importantly, not beat yourself up or try to distinguish the pain felt by true love. If you haven’t been fortunate to catch this beauty of a film, it follows two men, Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer) and their brief relationship in the summer of 1983 in Northern Italy. 17 year old Elio lives with his parents and his father (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a scholar who invites students from outside the country for the summer in hope of passing on his wisdom to them. This is when Oliver arrives, a handsome twenty something American who becomes the infatuation of Elio. 

I’ll never forget the first time I heard the monologue that Elio’s father gave his son at the end, explaining to Elio why he shouldn’t feel embarrassed by the pain he felt after loving Oliver:

“We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste”

That, ladies and gentlemen and all in between, is what love is.

Her. (2013)

Once again, another film about love that had a profound effect on me because of when I watched it. Her. follows the story of Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) and his search for a story using an A.I to help him write. However, after getting to know this A.I named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) and hearing the way she adapts and shows emotions, he soon falls in love with it. Some may deem this as rather sad (which it is) but I think it speaks to bigger constructs like internet dating and letting go of people you loved thus diminishing the fantasy and world you created for the two of you. This part of the film got to me a stark way as I felt the pain of letting go of not only a person, but a fantasy, just like Theodore had to do in letting his past partners go. Her. is truly beautiful, with some great production design, cinematography and acting.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

The absolute queen of love stories would be Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a film about the romance between two women in the late 18th Century. Definitely not a narrative you see every day or one that’s been painted in such a way (pun intended). Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the beautiful and stubborn Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) and the portrait is to be gifted to a suitor of Héloïse’s from Milan. But instead of getting the painting done and sending it off, Marianne and Héloïse unexpectedly fall for one another at a subtle and well timed pace that had me gawping at the screen the entire way through. Slow, sensual and moving is Portrait of a Lady on Fire and I would definitely say is one of the best LGBTQ plus films ever made to date.

Broke Back Mountain (2005)

Ang Lee scooped up a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar for his direction on his adapted screenplay of Brokeback Mountain. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) form a romantic bond after shepherding alone together on the side of a mountain. Once their time herding sheep comes to a close and they return back to their respective lives, it's clear that their bond is stronger than they had anticipated. They live in constant fear of their relationship becoming apparent to those around them, which leaves one of them taking matters into their own hands. A controversial yet extremely successful film of its time, Brokeback Mountain does a fabulous job of showcasing the consequences and despair of love using two of Hollywood’s finest actors.

Carol (2013)

It’s difficult to fully appreciate LGBTQ plus films set in the past as they mostly focus on the persecution of homosexuals as opposed to the love they wish to express. However, this was pretty accurate of the time and it's only very recently that we have begun to accept one another’s sexualities and genders fully so much that we play these stories out on screen without the persecution part. Carol is a film directed by Todd Haynes and stars Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. I found them to be an extremely intense pairing whilst they unravelled as their characters on screen. Therese (Rooney Mara) works in the toy department of a department store when one day she lays eyes upon Carol Aird, a beautiful and elegant married woman who becomes the infatuation of Therese. Therese throws all caution to the wind in order to be closer to Carol and because of this and the 1950s society they live in, their relationship is doomed from the beginning. I was in complete awe of the way Carol had been shot and created into this sensual and rich drama set in the 1950s. From the costumes, to the lighting to the acting, everything about Carol held weight to it showcasing the devotion of a truly talented director.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004)

Usually I’d pass on a Charlie Kaufman film, seeing as they make no sense, however I felt that it was time I delved into this cult classic starring Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood. It’s a really well made film with a clear and distinct message to it that’s represented in some phenomenal filmmaking techniques. The plot line of this film follows a man trying to erase a past lover and his memories of her get wiped away physically before your eyes on screen. It made me wish that I could do the same with people I’ve liked in the past, but the contradictory of this would be the trauma of eventually ending up with someone you had already met in another life. I haven’t experienced a break up nor felt the pain of one, though I could judge that this film tells that experience really well.

Moonlight (2016)

Moonlight is one of few films that I would genuinely worship if it were a religion. It's also one of the films that I outwardly shame people for not having seen, as it is truly a masterpiece and film lover’s film. Deep, emotionally connected, colourful, harsh, moving and eye opening, this film takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through the eyes of Chiron and the three stages of his life that have carved out his essence as a human being. Not only that, but he falls in love with another boy at his school, and when he does, he’s hurt rather badly. Literally. Moonlight is the definition of profundity and was awarded the top prize of Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards. 

Loving (2016)

When I think of a truthful and honest testament of love, the film Loving comes to mind which is a fitting title for such a delicate yet strong story. The film is based on a true story of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga) being banned from Virginia in the 1950s for choosing to be together. If that ain’t a true sacrifice of love, then I don’t know what is. Choosing someone you love over your own home is an unfathomable thing and certainly shows the strength that this couple had in facing the judgements of others whilst remaining emotionally truthful to themselves. 

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water is a strange yet enlightening love story between Eliza, a deaf woman (Sally Hawkins) and a creature being tested on in a laboratory. Awards season went mental for this back in 2018, winning four of the THIRTEEN Oscars it was nominated for. I would categorize it as quite the niche film and wouldn’t usually think that such a film could be garnered with Oscar success. However everyone who worked on this film really pulled out the stops in creating an entire new world and perspective that has many layers to it, as well as an abundance of conflict and dynamics for audiences to lull over. The relationship between Eliza and the feared swamp monster that’s being cruelly tested in the laboratories where she works, is heartfelt and honest, which is strange seeing as Eliza’s virtually in love with a monster. The casting in this was outlandish yet it really worked as all actors in this melded well into the story as their prospective characters. It also has one of the most touching endings to a film I’ve ever seen.

And there you have it, ten Romance films for you to enjoy this Valentine’s Day. Watch them all at once, or maybe just watch one. Whether you watch it alone or with someone, it doesn’t really matter!

Lots of love

Ang x

[oneweekoneband]

shouldn’t gay taylor swift fans be given access to the original homophobic version of "picture to burn”? and other post-evermore reflection questions.

Did yesterday last twice as long as a regular day? Does anyone else feel like pulled taffy today or is that the four red wine spritzers I made myself with Sutter Home mini bottles of cab and cherry flavored seltzer? How long has it been since Taylor Swift has been to an Olive Garden? Is the part in “willow” where she’s like “You know that my train could take you home / anywhere else is hollow” about pegging? Does Taylor Swift understand even a basic sketch of the events of The Great Gatsby, a novel commonly assigned in school to teenaged children? Is Taylor implying on “marjorie” that her grandmother is a ghost? Is it weird of me to think it is nice that Taylor believes her grandmother is a ghost? Do I believe my grandmother is a ghost? Is it weird of me to think it is nice to wonder if maybe she might be? Is “gold rush” obviously for the Kaylors, or am I just being prejudiced against men’s theoretical right to be good looking? Last night I peeled myself up from a circle at the foot of the bed and poured hot sauce into canned minestrone soup when I realized it was already hours past dark. After it warmed on the stove I ate on our cramped front porch at the little painted table that is dirty all the time from just the air, I guess, even if you wipe it down twice a day, so when I see it I think of my lungs covered in dust too. But last night it was cool outside and I wanted to get as much air inside of me as possible, dirty or not, before the time came to crack southward at the waist, fall hard, with all my weight, down to my knees, and supplicate myself most disgracefully at the feet of the Lord’s most terrible daughter. The new Taylor Swift album became available at nine pm pacific time. Will there ever be salvation?

Has Taylor Swift ever met up with high school friends in a bar over the holidays and wanted to cry a little the entire time, feeling a battle in her own body between the parts inclined to slide back into the shape of an old self to fit and the hardened parts that can’t? I don’t really think so! But with “’tis the season” she has written a song about fucking your ex while home for Christmas anyway, and it slaps. It is always a wonderful treat when this anthropomorphized Tiffany platinum tennis bracelet sits herself down and writes up a pretty little fiction about the small and ugly things that normal human people do. This is what makes “All Too Well”—a perfect piece of autofiction about her fake boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal—so good, though if you say that in certain company the reaction is like you’ve shot a dog. When Taylor spins me some shit like this, like about parking out by the Methodist to meet up in those strange, stretchy days at the very end of December for theoretically casual sex that you’ll think about sadly on the plane when you go, I accept it like a pomegranate seed plopped on my tongue by Hades himself and I thank her. If I wanted to know who you were hanging with while I was gone, I would have asked you!!!!!!!!

Why doesn’t Taylor just call this a bunch of b sides that didn’t fit right on folklore? That’s what it is. And why deny that? They’re largely very good b sides. I love “dorothea”. Do you love “dorothea”?  Are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers???? If Taylor really is going to release a third part of this moody forest saga come March, will the government show some real leadership for once and declare a purge so that we the people might rise up and bring this despot to the justice she so richly deserves? Why is Taylor Swift the Patricia Clarkson in Sharp Objects to our sweating and shaking Amy Adams? Why do our mouths loll open helplessly to accept her poison spoon when proffered? Mama, please... Do you think, strictly within the cinematic universe of “no body, no crime (feat. Haim)”, wherein Olive Garden regular Taylor Swift avenges canonically murdered Haim sister Este by killing her husband and (my favorite bit) implicitly framing the mistress, that after all that is squared away she and alive Haim sister Danielle bang it out? Why did the lilting piano ballad, “champagne problems”, about refusing a marriage proposal from a college boyfriend make me cry this morning on my pathetic little walk around the neighborhood? Was I thinking of the night I was 22 when I said no and no and no then yes to a drunk boy asking me with flashlight eyes to give him a nonsense forever promise, which I did because I knew in the morning we’d have forgotten, or would pretend to? Is it because I know that night so well, can still feel and smell and see, though I never mentioned it to anyone, everything about the few hours in the dark where I fought sleep because it felt nice pretending I was someone I knew I couldn’t be? Or was it just because on Twitter someone made a video setting the song to clips of Sersh & Timmy frolicking together wearing the same vest in Little Women? Is “coney island (feat. The National)” the first duet between Taylor and a man that isn’t an atrocity and an attack or is that purely my Matt Berninger derangement disorder speaking? Is “coney island (feat. The National)” degrading my nervous system like a wasting disease even as we speak? Did I close my fist around something delicate???? Did I shatter you??????? Will my own horrible hand ever come out of the Arthur meme clenched fist into which it furiously curled when I first listened to the, yes, fine, extremely lovely “coney island (feat. The National)”??????? It’s been almost a full day and typing like this isn’t very efficient.

Is “cowboy like me” my dual reward for fighting with so many annoying guys in my “The Cowboy in the American Imagination” class lo those many years ago and, plus, for always believing that country Taylor would never die for good? Did Taylor Swift watch Brokeback Mountain for the first time this year? Would Taylor Swift like me to email her a pdf of the Annie Proulx story? Does Taylor Swift want to buy me the too expensive D.S. & Durga “Cowboy Grass” perfume I’ve been coveting for years? Is all cowboy content inherently queer? Just kidding—that one isn’t a question. Now that Taylor is once more in the business of recreational yeehawing shouldn’t she, as a gesture of goodwill, make the forbidden original homophobic version of “Picture to Burn” available exclusively to those gay fans who wish to have it? (i.e. the elite gay fans with a sense of history and place.) Does she not owe us that much? Isn’t that really the only respectful thing to do? Is it not the very, very least this monster could do?

[swiftpng]

❥ — happy birthday, jake!

Writing you a birthday letter is harder than I thought it would be, and I guess this counts as one of your gifts. A letter from me to you. I... don't even know where to start. Maybe I can go back to 2010 and start there, perhaps. Back when I first met you as a wide eyed twenty year old, I remember thinking you were literally the coolest person on the planet. If I were going to be honest, I would tell you straight up that I was a huge fan of yours. Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko... all classic movies that I remember watching. I still remember how excited I was when we first met. Maybe it was fate for me to fall, or maybe it was an accidental trip that made me fall instead. I never meant to fall for you, really, and truthfully, I didn’t want to. I thought if our friendship was ruined by a little crush, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. But I couldn't help it. I tried to convince myself that it would be a bad idea, and that I'd get hurt. Maybe I was right all along, but despite all that has happened between us, I don't regret it. Before I met you, I hadn't had a lot of experiences with love, and when it comes to you, it’ll be something I'll never forget. Even though our relationship only lasted a short time during the first year of this decade, I had a good time with you. You were the pretty guy with nice eyes and a charming smile that could make any person fall. And you made for some pretty great songs, yeah? But really, what I am trying to say to you is that I'm thankful that you came into my life. You taught me a lot about myself, and about love.

What you gave me on my birthday was really kind, and I still can’t believe you took some time out of your day(s) to do it all. At first, when I heard that you were now in town, I thought it was going to take some time, a lot of time actually, to figure out how to exist around you. But I’m glad we’ve made amends, and I’m glad I don’t have to feel awkward about running into you at the grocery store or flinch whenever your name comes up in a conversation. I’m one of the lucky ones to have gotten the chance to call you my friend. And I wished you showed everyone the side of you that you showed me, because you’re one of the most sensible, intelligent, funniest people in this world. You are an amazing person through and through, I swear it. The talks we used to have, whether small or deep, are ones I look back on with fondness, as cheesy as it sounds. I just hope your birthday is as incredible as you are and you celebrate it with the ones you love. You deserve the best of days, especially today.

Trying to find a card for you was hard, but I came across this one and it made me laugh. I hope it makes you laugh, too. I made this cross stitch for you, so that it could remind you of me. You can hang it in your home, or put it in the closet -- whatever you choose to do with it is your decision, but I kind of wanted to add a personal touch to one of my gifts for you. I got you some olive branches since those are meant to symbolize peace, and since we're on good terms now I thought it would be an appropriate gift to give you. This next gift is a little bit of a splurge, and if I remember correctly, you really love your indie records. I got you a turntable that allows you to play your vinyls. I'm not sure if you already have one around your new place, but hopefully you don't. And lastly, I made you some of my holiday Chex Mix. I know you said that you hoped I wasn't offended that you got me store bought cupcakes, and don't worry, I loved them. And it's the thought that counts, right? The recipe I used for my mix is a family favorite, so I hope you enjoy it, too.

I hope you know that you are so unique, more than you maybe even realize. You are so funny and you make so many people smile on a daily basis. You are so, so loved by those around you. You are a well of incredible, endless creativity and enthusiasm. I adore your enthusiasm about the weirdest things and I think you really do deserve the entire world. You are a true star that shines, even in a sea of darkness. You have so much value, not only in your talents and your brilliant mind, but also in your heart. Every day should really be filled with recognition of just how amazing you are. And I know how hard it is for you sometimes, to not be so hard on yourself. But Jake, you need to remember that you are not your worst mistakes! You are the person who came after them. You become a new person every day, in every way. You are a brand new version of yourself: continuously changing, continuously growing. You are the product of your hard work and self-improvement. There is no one who is more responsible for that than yourself, and you should be so proud of yourself! You owe it to yourself to keep working towards newer, better versions of yourself. You owe it to yourself to be more than resigned or merely satisfied with who you are. Reach higher. Aspire to be more. Be the best version of yourself, because that is what you deserve. Remember that you are what you put into the world: that love, that light. You are capable of everything you believe you can do and more. You are an incredible, fantastic human being with the heart and capacity for so much loving and growing.

This letter got unnecessarily long. I’m really sorry you have to read this travesty, honestly. I know you're not the biggest fan of birthdays, but I truly hope that you have the best birthday imaginable and that you find endless reasons to smile and that this year treats you right, you only deserve great things and I hope you know just how much the people in your life care about you. // @gyllensisland

Always, Taylor.

[cmbynreviews]

"Call Me by Your Name" Review – Armie Hammer & Timothée Chalamet astound in sensual triumph

In my four years attending the Sundance Film Festival, I’m not sure I’ve seen anything as purely rapturous as Call Me by Your Name. The new feature film from I Am Love and A Bigger Splash filmmaker Luca Guadagnino chronicles a summer romance that blossoms between a young boy and a visitor in northern Italy, and by the film’s end it solidifies its place as one of the queer cinema greats alongside Carol, Brokeback Mountain, and Moonlight. The film is a tremendously sensual, hypnotic coming of age/coming out tale of first love. Anchored by a phenomenal breakout performance from Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer’s best work yet, and masterful craftsmanship, Call Me by Your Name is an instant addition to the best romances of the 21st century.

Based on the book of the same name by André Aciman, the film takes place in 1983 in Northern Italy, where a 17-year-old boy named Elio is spending the summer in his family’s 17th century villa. His father (Michael Stuhlbarg), a professor of Greco-Roman culture, enlists a research assistant named Oliver (Hammer) to come and spend the summer with his family. Elio is transfixed by Oliver at first sight, but approaches the handsome American warily, keeping him at arm’s length. As the summer continues and Elio and Oliver play a game of chicken, daring one another to make the first romantic overture, the two finally give into their feelings and spark a romance that is passionate, playful, and pure.

Chalamet is nothing short of a revelation as Elio. The actor is probably best known for his work on Homeland or for a brief role in Interstellar, but this is one of the biggest breakthrough performances in recent memory. He imbues Elio with complicated layers – a confident exterior; a precocious charm; a fearful undercurrent. All of these shine through and more and he’s so good in the role that at first you even doubt whether he actually likes Oliver. Of course he’s simply preparing himself for rejection by throwing out the first jabs, but this results in a relationship that is at first delightfully contentious, then playfully so before turning into full on flirtation.

But as a closeted 17-year-old, Elio is still working out his feelings by losing his virginity to a local Italian girl who has the hots for him. Their relationship never comes off as phony, more as an exploration, and there’s a ticking clock plot point towards the end of the film that raises the stakes in hilariously sexy fashion.

As the relationship between Elio and Oliver becomes physical, the film really digs into this as a first love story and a coming out story. Love is universal, so the feelings between Elio and Oliver are the same feelings felt by all, but it’s nice that Guadagnino doesn’t ignore the elephant in the room: that Elio and Oliver’s sexuality is a thing to be hidden at that point in time. There’s a reason their relationship began so contentiously, and Oliver makes reference early in the film that he’s “been good” so far and doesn’t want to do anything to mess that up. It’s heartbreaking, really, to see Elio so miserable at the start of the film, surrounded by such beauty.

But this is no misery porn. The teasing that goes on between the two characters is magnificently handled by Guadagnino, who keeps a playful hand on the proceedings so as not to drown the film in self-serious romance. Summer flings are fun! So are first loves. And while this does blossom into something deeply felt, the summer season and Italian setting add a touch of lightheartedness to the scenes. Moreover, Guadagnino’s focus on sensuality over sexuality imbues the film with a romp vibe with an undeniable allure. One imagines that a more explicit or erotic version of the film would have downplayed how deeply felt the emotions are between Oliver and Elio.

Gorgeously shot by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Arabian Nights), this is a film that you just want to soak up. The Italian scenery is milked for all its worth, and the days filled with swimming, reading, and eating fresh fruit are divine. But the secret weapon to immersing audiences into the world of Call Me by Your Name is some incredible sound design. The footsteps on the gravel roads, the creaking floors in the ancient villa – you not only see this world, you feel it. That only allows the audience to fall deeper into the film’s trance, becoming infatuated with the romance between Elio and Oliver.

It must be said that Call Me by Your Name is a triumph in every regard. Stuhlbarg’s role as Elio’s father isn’t necessarily a large role in terms of screentime, but he delivers a monologue towards the end of the film that felt like it made time stop. Guadagnino and James Ivory’s script is measured and tight; thoughtful and delicate. Every inch of this movie is expertly crafted, right down to the stunning final shot. It’s at once a universal story of young love and a relatable, emotional story of a homosexual awakening. In that regard it’s a tremendous love story period, but also a winning entry in the legion of queer cinema.

ADAM CHITWOOD | COLLIDER | 22 Nov 2017 

[njawaidofficial]

28 Fictional Couples That Should Have Ended Up Together

https://styleveryday.com/2018/03/05/28-fictional-couples-that-should-have-ended-up-together/

28 Fictional Couples That Should Have Ended Up Together

With added polls for your pleasure.

Note: We only chose couples from shows and movies that, as far as we know, have concluded. 🚨Spoilers ahead!🚨

Jack and Rose (Titanic)

“Why couldn’t Rose get on the lifeboat? Then, when Jack landed in the water he could have been on the floating wood, and then they could’ve found each other after!” —shelbys4801a11f0

“A true tragedy.” —kelsipullen

Paramount Pictures

Robin & Barney (How I Met Your Mother)

“He respected her and loved her for who she was and even gave up the idea of having his own kids to be with her. Meanwhile, Ted told her that she needed to be less independent because ‘some guys like to feel needed’ and made her give up her dogs because he was jealous that she dated guys before him.” —milkteapapi

“The last few seasons highlighting the ups and downs of Barney and Robin’s relationship felt so right. They grew into each other and made the other their priority. Their divorce wasn’t fleshed out enough and went back on all of their character development.” —lisah4f7be2850

“It’s been almost five years and I’m still pissed about the finale.” —canadagirlmetronews1

CBS

Katniss & Gale (The Hunger Games)

“They were perfect for each other, goddangit!” —edynwebbz

“The fact Katniss ended up with Peeta and not Gale REALLY annoys me.” —chloem4350bba95

“She should not have ended up with Peeta, she did not love him as he loved her.” —m4ea75f226

Lionsgate

Shawn & Angela (Boy Meets World)

“They had shared interests and connected over similar issues with their families. Even though they had difficulty confronting their feelings for each other, they understood one another better than anyone else ever could. All hope was lost after their storyline concluded in Girl Meets World, and I will forever be sad that they didn’t end up together!” —sevanak

Beuna Vista Television

Beca & Chloe (Pitch Perfect)

“They are repeatedly put in ‘will they/won’t they’ situations and are used for queer baiting.” —leot4bde01e65

“Even Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow shipped them!” —izzy1890926

Universal Pictures

Buffy & Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

“They loved each other more than anything or anyone and how their romance ended was heartbreaking. I still think they’re the greatest couple ever.” —bruce9752

“He was obviously still in love with her and vice versa, judging on the amount of times they showed up to save one another. I’m sure there was SOME spell that’s like a condom, but instead of preventing STDs and pregnancy, it prevents him from turning into a murderous beast.” —cammie81

WB

Phoebe & Joey (Friends)

“Although I love Mike, Joey and Phoebe should have gotten together and I’m still a little sad they never really did.” —kateflowerhome

“I know they weren’t actually a couple, but they should have been! They had a special connection and just got each other. Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow even pitched to the show’s execs an idea that they had been sleeping together the whole time. How perfect would that have been?” —erikas4c517eb6e

NBC

Rachel & Joey (Friends)

“The buildup to their brief relationship was fantastic, but then they killed it by deciding it was awkward. It didn’t have to be, writers! Ross is the worst and deserved to be alone.” —c452f9e68c

“Ross was whiny, selfish, and SO insecure! Joey and Rachel had such a sweet connection.” —kayleeb4390f5879

“God, I hate Ross.” —dddddddddddddd2714

NBC

Elio & Oliver (Call Me By Your Name)

“Their relationship was so raw and real, but on the other hand, the reason the story resonated so deeply with me was because it was about losing your first love.” —melissam4334ccceb

Sony Pictures Classics

Kevin & Winnie (The Wonder Years)

“All that build up so they can write letters to each other as adult friends? Hell nah.” —kellihollemans

ABC

Stefan & Elena (The Vampire Diaries)

“Despite everything the world threw at them, they trusted each other and their love knew no boundaries. They brought out the best versions of each other and would sacrifice everything for one another. They are the most beautiful love story and deserved so much better.” —carolync4178cbdc3

CW

Emily & Maya (Pretty Little Liars)

“Every girlfriend after was a total letdown and undeserving of sweet, beautiful Emily. Maya brought her out of her shell and helped her blossom.” —beemer723

ABC

Sam & Diane (Cheers)

“There were times when their relationship was chaotic, but above all else, Sam and Diane loved each other. I will never believe that Sam would’ve been happier with the bar than with Diane. WHY’D THEY HAVE TO BREAK MY HEART?” —nothankyou666

NBC

Pocahontas & John Smith (Pocahontas)

“I know what actually happened to Pocahontas was terrible, but I felt that in the Disney fictional story she should have ended up with John Smith.” —bradford97

“Disney, you shat on history in the first one, why couldn’t you have done that in the second one? John Rolfe was the most boring basic white boi.” —emily1380

Disney

Serena & Nate (Gossip Girl)

“They were such good friends their whole lives and he loved her from the start. He treated her better than anyone ever did and they were the cutest together. Dan, on the other hand, basically tried to destroy them. What a creepy jerk to do that to your ‘friends’ and the woman you supposedly ‘love’.” —c452f9e68c

“I’m sorry but the world was ROBBED OF ALL HAPPINESS when Nate and Serena didn’t end up together. I rest my case.” —oliviam4982aeb33

CW

Tara & Willow (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

“The most I’ve ever cried in my whole life is when Tara died. Twillow was the first gay relationship I aspired to have, and it broke my heart that she was HIGHKEY SHOT THROUGH THE HEART. Tara deserved better.” —mollyslays

“No one played love better than Alyson Hannigan on that show, and she lost so much and I wanted her to be truly happy. I wept.” —k44772d17f

WB

Brooke & Lucas (One Tree Hill)

“Lucas was the first guy to see Brooke for something more than just an easy lay. Brooke brought out the fun in Lucas.” —agreen1490

“If any couple should have ended up together, it should have been Brooke and Lucas. To this day, the fact that he chose Peyton breaks my heart.” —alexiselizabethp

CW

Mia & Sebastian (La La Land)

“I will never get over the fact that they didn’t end up with each other. They need each other!” —amandam4c47bd830

“Gets me every time.” —madelyndepodesta

Summit Entertainment

Annie & Jeff (Community)

“They had such good chemistry, and not in an annoying ‘will they/won’t they’ way. Watching them flirt and crush on each other reminded me of every random infatuation I had in college.” —redtoenails

“OTP, they deserved so much better!” —natashagatti1018

NBC

Katara & Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

“1. Sexual tension since season one. 2. Katara was the first to believe that Zuko could be good. 3. Zuko helped her get closure after her mother’s death. 4. He confided in her about his mother’s disappearance and his guilt over betraying his uncle. 5. HE ALMOST DIED SAVING HER FROM HIS SISTER. Enough said.” —jsws17

“The writers even said that originally they were suppose to end up together. It would have been perfection.” —supersammy

Nickelodeon

Andie & Duckie (Pretty in Pink)

“Our boy Duckie deserved better.” —athenaa44a06d389

“Why she chose that butthead Blane after how he treated her, I will never know.” —ryliem3

Paramount Pictures

Eric & Sookie (True Blood)

“Their chemistry was sizzling and I loved watching how their characters grew and actually formed a deep connection over the course of the series. All their scenes together were fire.” —rachelj43312bbe2

“He was flawed and evil, that’s true, but Bill was so much worse! At least Eric truly cared about Sookie, and they really did love each other. And in the end she doesn’t end up with either of them, only to marry some guy we never met.” —hannahcanela

HBO

Mike & Susan (Desperate Housewives)

“They battled for nine seasons through SO MUCH and then he just gets shot? No. Thank. You.” —gilliana41ef45ca1

ABC

Jack & Ennis (Brokeback Mountain)

“Countless tears. I’m fine. Everything is fine.” —jaelynnp

Focus Features

Kimberly & Tommy (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)

“They belonged together!” —karatyrell

FOX

Jackie & Hyde (That ’70s Show)

“She was less self-centered and he was more genuine and affectionate when they were a couple. HE WAS READY TO PROPOSE. Then he randomly married a stripper? And Jackie ends up with Fez? It made ZERO SENSE.” —brittanyg4baf9d707

“They had so much chemistry and history. Then they just threw Fez and Jackie together. It just didn’t feel right.” —woodg

“I will forever hate and never understand how Jackie and Hyde didn’t end up together.” —jeneenmm

FOX

Hermione & Draco (Harry Potter)

“Ron is great, but he was way too immature for Hermione. Draco, however, is much more mature, and would be a mystery that Hermione would love to figure out. Plus, they have so much chemistry! Not like Ron, with the emotional range of a teaspoon. —bwes

“He was always a misunderstood character. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a coward for sure, but it’s not his fault the way he was raised. She is such an understanding and kind person. I like it.” —greysiv

“#Dramione forever!” —michaelas4e292a0ca

Warner Bros.

Hermione & Harry (Harry Potter)

“J.K. Rowling herself said that Harry and Hermione should have ended up together and the fact that they didn’t still makes me so mad. Ron is absolutely terrible to Hermione and suffers from some serious anger issues and to see people romanticizing their relationship is just sickening.” —hermanfreakinpotter

“They were always meant to be together.” —ccodonnell0992

“Ron is too immature, and not enough of an intellectual challenge for her. Not to mention his lack of emotional depth.” —christinac4a3c7b6b7

Warner Bros.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

[cmbynreviews]

"Call Me by Your Name" proves to be a highly erotic coming-of-age – not coming out – tale to remember

“I almost had sex last night”, 17-year-old Elio casually announces, sitting down at the breakfast table.

Equally casual is his parents’ response: “Why didn’t you?”

Ah, the world would be a better place if every family were as open as Elio’s. But they have the advantage of location, location, location – an idyllic villa “somewhere in northern Italy” – where director Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name  unfolds over six sun-drenched weeks in the summer of 1983.

It’s a lushly erotic tale, indeed, in which precocious Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and his doting parents are awaiting the annual arrival of a grad student who’ll spend the summer living and working with Elio’s father, a renowned professor of classical architecture.

This year it’s tall, hunky Oliver (Armie Hammer), who has a way of sucking the oxygen out of a room – or a volleyball game or a crowded dance floor at the local club. Oliver rushes headlong into everything, starting with his soft-boiled egg in the morning, and darts out of every social engagement with a cheeky “Later!” A man of easy physicality, he’d be an ugly American but for his roguish charm and total self-assurance — the diametric opposite of reticent Elio, hiding beneath his headphones.

This is a kid who wiles away the time transposing Bach (from harpsichord to guitar), then playing a Liszt rendition of Bach, followed by Busoni’s version of Liszt’s imitation of Bach – while his dad and Oliver one-up each other on the etymology of “apricot”. An intellectual bunch, to be sure.

Though he takes up with a pretty French girl (Esther Garrel) – the one he referenced so offhandedly at breakfast – Elio is much less sanguine about Oliver, whom he watches from afar but spars with up close. And thinks about fitfully, in bed, at night.

Here, as in his two exquisite Tilda Swinton films, I Am Love (2009) and A Bigger Splash (2015), director Guadagnino’s attention to naturalistic details – the textures and sounds of Italian life – suffuse every scene with a kind of sensual yearning: Nubile bodies cavort unselfconsciously in the sun. A table is spread with fresh fruit – not unlike Elio himself. A faded picture of Il Duce still adorns the wall of an old lady’s house. An aging homosexual couple called “Sonny & Cher” comes to visit. The graphic sexual encounters are more subtle than explicit. An errant fly intrudes – and is not removed from – the film’s long, gorgeous final shot.

In short, the direction – aided by James Ivory’s excellent screenplay, adapted from Andre Aciman’s 2007 novel – reflects the characters’ heart-thumping intensity of feeling, underscored by a fine eclectic mix of music, from John Adams to the Psychedelic Furs.

One can’t say enough about young Mr. Chalamet’s wonderful performance: coltish, cuddly, privileged in his sunglasses and Talking Heads T-shirt, but soulful. He’s a boy, an adolescent, a man and a mama-papa’s baby all rolled into one. Parents (Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar) and child are so close-knit, they lie together on the couch and read to each other in the evening. I can’t think of another such trio that so adores each other in a serious film.

Well, we’re in a paradise, after all. Add in the sculptural antiquities salvaged from a sunken ship (“ageless ambiguity, daring you to desire them”), and we get the pagan with the Garden of Eden allusions. This paradise is doomed to be lost, but it’s full of ecstasy in the meantime. No snake of sin slithers into it. This isn’t about wrongdoing and punishment.

The esoteric title is whispered by Oliver to Elio – in full: “Call me by your name, and I’ll call you by mine”. It derives from Aristophanes’ idea, in Plato’s “Symposium,” that humans were originally created as four-armed, four-legged, two-faced creatures that were split apart by Zeus and condemned to spend life searching for their other halves – male or female, same or opposite sex – in order to become whole.

Says Elio’s gentle father: “Our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once. Before you know it, your heart’s worn out. And as for your body, there comes a point when no one looks at it, much less wants to come near it”. Right now, feeling the joy and torment alike “is the only way to be alive”.

It’s no Brokeback Mountain. There’s no social, cultural, parental or “public” issue. It’s about coming of age, not coming out. The guiltless, ephemeral exhilaration.

It’s an unforgettable, virtuoso achievement by Mr. Guadagnino.

BARRY PARRIS | PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE | 19 Jan 2018