So I am officially smitten by Armie. I can't get him out of my mind. It's really Armie as Oliver, but I am following everything I can about him. I think the film is excellent and his and Timothee's performances are wonderful compatible, resonant and compelling. But right now I want to talk about the film's effect on me which is strong, lovely and bothersome. 76 year old closeted married to my high school sweetheart for 53 years and love her beyond everything, kids, lovely grandkids, the whole dream and am really grateful and happy. However, CallMe by Your Name knocked my socks off and knocked me off my pins. To analyse. Elios's romantic and erotic obsession with the half unknown Oliver in first part of the film/book I identify with intensely, specifically the realization that this feverish state about a guy probably meant I was homosexual. I can't use gay because it was not around when I had the crush that made me know I really was attracted to men. After that, the identificatiom switches to Oliver because I then sought everyway to avoid and repress these energies. For me, three years of therapy paid for by my enlightened parents (early 1960s) through which I talked myself into the idea that it had been a stage and, to make sure, I married my longtime girlfriend. I think of this as parallel to Olvier's choice. My life has been incredibly good. I won't bore you with the various ways I have coped, but my wife knows my feelings and all so I aa not so guilt ridden, but I am, at the moment, like a 17 year old with a
terrible crush on a totally unachievable love ideal. I think the fantasy has gotten under my skin due to the particular chemistry of the film and the actors. One part of a crush on a straight guy is the hope that you might change him or he might like you enough to make you happy for a bit or even that in fact he's likes guys too as in the film. Of course, the performance of the film enacts this fantasy completely. The straight Armie enacts with wonderful sympathy and erotic energy the fantasy of the unavailable, ridiculously beautiful straight love ideal experiencing and performing deeply authentic homosexual feeling love. Oh, it drives me wild with longing and bittersweet desire.
No need to respond to,this rant, I just had to get it out to somewhere. Thanks if you are still reading. Any thought on how to handle it all? Feed the fantasy with more Armie all the time or go cold cold turkey, wait for time to cure it...
He's so beautiful. And while I perfectly understand why he might not have gotten a supporting nomination, it affected me as a personal hurt which I know is silly, but I am knee deep in all things Armie... No more for now. Please be gentle with responses.