Tagged: Italy

Film Review: “Call Me By Your Name” #SydFilmFest 2017


Call Me By Your Name is a gay romance set in Italy. It is gently paced and beautifully set, but I think it runs far too long.

In the clip above you get a good feel for what is not so great and what is great about this film. Armie Hammer first talks about his own reaction to portraying male-to-male sex and then his younger less experienced partner in the film, Timothée Chalamet, really gets to the heart of what makes this film of the celebration of love special – the complete “lack of a violent oppressor or deterrent to this love”. Armie’s character in the film is ultimately uncomfortable with himself, but I think his portrayal also lacks the multiple dimensions that Timothée brought to his role.

I agree with Jordan Hoffman from The Guardian who highlighted the very supportive father-to-son exchange towards the end of the film. It is a wonderful moment and reinforces what Timothée says of the film above. Beautiful, but a little long. 3.5/5

Human Capital – Review

Human Capital is set in a large city in Italy. It tells the story behind the accidental death of a poor cyclist riding home from work one night (with lights). The story telling of the events surrounding the accident is done in four chapters. We see three different perspectives: a father, a mother, and a daughter/girlfriend before the final chapter when all comes together and the truth is revealed.

I liked the use of the different perspectives as it demonstrated how we all jump to conclusions and blame without all the facts. The cast were great in all the main roles too. All were completely believable and the men seemed very Italian.

At the conclusion of the film I think we feel sorry for the person who was at fault in the death of the cyclist. There is probably also some residual sympathy for the families being torn apart as we search for the truth. All that, however, presents me with the main problem that I have with this film. As a cyclist, I think it could have benefited from a chapter giving us the perspective of either the cyclist or his family. They are the real victims in this story, but we see and hear very little of them. I think that would have added much more weight to the story, but maybe I am just biased.

Keep cycling. 3.5/5