Ah, to be young and in love in Italy. Luca Guadagnino’s newest film, Call Me By Your Name, explores exactly that, but with a twist from what is often portrayed on the big screen.

Oliver (Armie Hammer) is a graduate student who comes to work as a research assistant for Professor Perlman and his family in Northern Italy during the summer of 1983. Handsome, charming and popular among the ladies, it’s only a matter of time before Elio (Timothée Chalamet), the son of Professor Perlman, falls in love with his father’s assistant.

Based on André Aciman’s novel of the same name, Call Me By Your Name is a coming of age story that explores forbidden love during a time where homosexual relationships weren’t completely accepted.  Despite taking place in the 1980s, the film resonates particularly well in present day.

New to the acting scene, Chalamet makes his debut as a lead actor in Guadagnino’s film, only previously being seen in Lady Bird as a minor role, which was also released this year.  Chalamet has a boyish charm as Elio that could make anyone fall in love. Elio is a piano prodigy who would rather engage with a good book than any girl in town, though he has a girlfriend, Marzia (Esther Garrel), for a significant portion of the movie. It’s no wonder Chalamet has been nominated for an Oscar due to this leading performance: He perfectly embodies the feelings of someone experiencing true love for the first time. There’s an age difference between Elio and Oliver, and Elio’s naivety shines through as he desperately follows Oliver through Italy, trying to catch his attention and display his growing crush. Elio writes love letters and unveils secret getaways, yet, Oliver doesn’t buy any of it.

While Chalamet takes viewers on a romantic journey, making you fall more and more in love with Elio and his innocence every time he’s on screen, Hammer does the opposite. Oliver is portrayed as the guy everyone is swooning over, the literal embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. Yet, instead of making the audience infatuated with this idealized cliché, Hammer makes Oliver stand-offish and arrogant. He leads Elio on, often in a passive aggressive way, perhaps stemming from his seniority over Elio and past experiences with true love, or the fact he doesn’t want to come to terms with his own homosexuality.

Overall, the cinematography is fantastic. The film takes the viewer directly into Italy during the 1980s. Each clip is phenomenally captured, rich with color and vibrancy. With his boyish charm and utter innocence, Elio steals the show and captures hearts. The only aspect holding this film back from being a breakthrough is Oliver. It’s hard to be a revolutionary hit when the character in pursuit is one not worth chasing. Nevertheless, Call Me By Your Name is a modern love story that’ll make anyone want to experience their first love all over again.