The queer-themed coming-of-age drama “Call Me By Your Name” drew critical raves after its Sundance Film Festival premiere in January, garnering early Oscar buzz for stars Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet.
One person who isn’t buying into the buzz, however, is James Woods. The 70-year-old actor, who is known for his conservative views, blasted the film for its portrayal of a romantic relationship between a 24-year-old academic (Hammer) and a 17-year-old American expat (Chalamet) living in Italy.
Woods hashtagged the tweet #NAMBLA, an acronym for the North American Man/Boy Love Association, an organization that has spoken out against age-of-consent laws and supported incarcerated individuals who identify as “boy lovers.”
But Hammer, 30, wasn’t having any of it, and shot back:
Didn't you date a 19 year old when you were 60.......?
Fortunately, it doesn’t seem as if Hammer will be needing Woods’ approval. “Call Me By Your Name,” which hits theaters nationwide Nov. 24, wowed audiences at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival over the weekend, and currently boasts a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Los Angeles Times praised the film, which is based on André Aciman’s novel, as “a powerfully erotic and affecting love story.” The Daily Beast described an early screening as “tantamount to group gay catharsis for the audience in attendance.”
As for Hammer, the film “challenged and pushed” him as an actor. “To be perfectly honest, I think the reason I took this movie, and the reason I had to take this movie, is that it scared me,” he told People. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the experience.”
The closest we came to cinematic perfection in Park City was "Call Me by Your Name," an adaptation of André Aciman's acclaimed novel of the same name. An aria about first love and perfect weather, the movie stars Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet as housemates turned unlikely lovers during an all-too-brief Italian summer. Director Luca Guadagnino, whose previous credits include "I Am Love" and "A Bigger Splash," earned a standing ovation at the premiere, signaling bright things to come for this sensual romance, which sold to Sony Pictures Classics before the festival.
"Thoroughbred"
In Cory Finley's directorial debut, Anya Taylor-Joy ("The Witch," "Split") and Olivia Cooke ("Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," "Bates Motel") play wealthy suburban teenagers who hatch a plan to murder the former's vicious stepfather. "Thoroughbred" is delicious and bitingly funny, with a killer ending that lives up to its twists. The movie also features the final screen performance from the late Anton Yelchin.
"A Ghost Story"
Nearly wordless and relentlessly captivating, "A Ghost Story" is a feat of storytelling and production design. Casey Affleck plays a deceased phantom haunting his wife's (Rooney Mara) home wearing a bed sheet. It's a stunner of a "Pete's Dragon" follow-up for director David Lowery, who mines prolonged silence to raise questions about time, grief and the way we float in and out of one another's lives.
"Mudbound"
A searing racial confrontation set during World War II, "Mudbound" seemed like Sundance's surest Oscar contender. So it was a surprise when Netflix outbid traditional theatrical distributors for rights to the movie, Dee Rees' directorial follow-up to "Pariah" and "Bessie." Featuring an ensemble that includes Carey Mulligan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige and Jonathan Banks, "Mudbound" blends horror and hope to chronicle a snippet of America's domestic turmoil.
"The Incredible Jessica James"
Jessica Williams: a hero for all seasons. "The Incredible Jessica James" marks Williams' first big-screen starring vehicle, giving the former "Daily Show" correspondent a movie that complements her comedic voice. It's a delightful, progressive romantic comedy about an aspiring New York playwright reeling from a recent breakup.
"City of Ghosts"
For the Oscar-nominated "Cartel Land," Matthew Heineman captured immersive footage of drug syndicates near the Arizona border. Next up is "City of Ghosts," a moving documentary about a Syrian activism group fighting ISIS' invasion of their homeland. The results are vital, providing a torrid look at one of the globe's colossal crises.
"The Big Sick"
Sundance brought good news for the romantic-comedy genre, chiefly in the form of "The Big Sick." Kumail Nanjiani and wife Emily V. Gordon co-wrote this gem about a Pakistani comedian in Chicago navigating the dating scene despite his parents' instance on arranged marriages. Amazon bought the movie for a massive $12 million, so get ready to usher in Nanjiani's movie stardom.
"I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore"
Meet your new favorite buddy duo: angry Melanie Lynskey and weird Elijah Wood. In "Green Room" actor Macon Blair's directorial debut, Lynskey plays a nursing assistant who recruits her rat-tailed neighbor (Wood) to avenge a robbery. From there, the aptly titled "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore" devolves into a demented, violent goose chase that never shies away from the central thesis of "people suck."
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at the age of 33. He played for five teams during his four NBA seasons. Morris played college basketball at Michigan.
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Miami Heat president Pat Riley rebuked comments Jimmy Butler made about the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, while also implying that his star needs to play more.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss the Padres-Marlins trade that sent Luis Arraez to San Diego, as well as recap all the action from this weekend in baseball and send birthday wishes to hall-of-famer Willie Mays.
An annual government report offered a glimmer of good news for Social Security and a jolt of good news for Medicare even as both programs continue to be on pace to run dry next decade.
The 2023-024 NBA season isn't yet over. A number of teams are still dreaming of championship glory. But for those that have been bounced from the playoffs, it's time to reassess and re-evaluate for next season.
