Surprisingly, this is only my second time watching this movie. I remember seeing it when it first hit the theaters in 2017, and I really liked the movie a great deal then. With this second viewing, I found myself loving this movie, enjoying and being moved by it way more than I was the first time. It's just a really beautiful movie with a lot of emotional depth and feeling. It's gorgeous to look at thanks in part to the Italian setting, but everything is superb from the story to the acting to the pacing to the heartbreaking ending to the musical score. This second viewing showed me again how wonderful this movie is and firmly placed this LGBTQ+ film within my Top 10 All-Time Favorite LGBTQ+ movies.

It can't be stated enough how wonderful the two main actors are in their roles. The chemistry between Timothee Chalamet (Elio) and Armie Hammer (Oliver) is incredible. Their scenes together just spark whether it's Oliver being snarky or rude to Elio or Elio being shy or annoyed with Oliver. This chemistry makes their scenes of flirtation and romance all the more believable. While some have said Hammer looks way older than the early twenties his character is supposed to actually be, I think he is fine in the role. It works. The camera clearly loves him and Chalamet as both are frequently seen half-dressed thanks to the Italian summer heat.

The two actors playing Elio's parents (Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar) are also wonderful. They know what is happening between Oliver and Elio, and they are accepting of it and, in the case of the mother, somewhat pushing her son to explore his sexuality with Oliver. It's even more incredible and awesome as this movie is set in 1983, certainly a time when acceptance of a gay child was not always happening. Stuhlbarg's monologue to Elio at the end is just lovely and touching.

This is a really fantastic movie.