Elio Perlman

Elio Perlman
First appearance	Call Me by Your Name
Last appearance	Find Me
Created by	André Aciman
Adapted by	Luca Guadagnino (director) James Ivory (writer)
Portrayed by	Timothée Chalamet (film)
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student (Call Me by Your Name) Pianist (Find Me)
Family	Sami Perlman (father) Annella Perlman (mother)
Significant other	Oliver
Religion	Jewish
Nationality	Italian

Elio Perlman is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 2007 novel Call Me by Your Name and its 2019 follow-up novel Find Me, created by André Aciman.

Elio Perlman is portrayed by Timothée Chalamet in the 2017 adaptation of the same name. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, the film follows Elio Perlman, a 17-year-old as he spends the summer of 1983 with his family in their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, a doctoral student who's working as an intern for Elio's father, and the two become infatuated with each other over the course of the summer.

For his portrayal, Chalamet received nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Award, all for Best Actor. He also won numerous critics awards, namely New York Film Critics Circle Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award and London Film Critics' Circle Award.

Characterization

Elio Perlman is a 17-year-old Jewish-Italian boy. He spends a great deal of time playing piano, learning classical pieces as well as composing his own. He is the protagonist of the coming-of-age story, a teenager on the brink of manhood, experiencing love for the first time.

The son of Jewish scholars, Elio is trilingual, well-read, and a talented musician. He spends his summers working on classical scores, playing the guitar and piano, reading and swimming with friends. He is initially attracted to and in a sexual relationship with Marzia. When he meets Oliver, his attraction eclipses his other interests. During Oliver's stay in his family's house, Elio tries to spend as much time as possible in his presence. Although he understands he's attracted to Oliver, it takes time for Elio to decide if he wants anything to happen between them.

Relationships

Marzia

Marzia is Elio's Italian friend with whom Elio has a casual sexual relationship. After Elio's romance with Oliver begins, Marzia is confused by Elio's avoidance of her and is hurt by his indifference. After Oliver returns to America, Marzia realizes that Elio has been in love with Oliver all along, she tells him that she is not upset and the two agree to stay friends.

Oliver

Oliver is a 24-year-old Jewish-American graduate student who is writing and researching with Elio's father in Italy. While he is similarly intellectual and thoughtful, he is more sociable than Elio, often participating in social drinking, playing games, flirting with women. Unlike Elio, he did not have an accepting upbringing, and therefore experiences more shame and ambivalence about his homosexual feelings.

Soon enough, Elio feels tortured by the idea that his attraction might slip by unnoticed, so he tells Oliver how he feels. When he and Oliver finally kiss, he isn't sure what to make of their connection. Similarly, he feels confused after they have sex, ultimately experiencing a sense of shame even though he's glad to have acted on his feelings.

In the beginning of their acquaintanceship, Oliver and Elio do not quite know what to think of one another, or how to deal with their mutual attraction. In the early days of their courtship, they find it easiest to talk about intellectual and artistic matters. Oliver asks Elio about the music he is playing, lightly challenging his claims about the compositions. He asks Elio what he thinks of a sentence from his academic work, and they engage in light banter.

Sami Perlman

Sami Perlman is an archaeology professor and Elio's father. He invites grad student Oliver to live with his family in Italy over the summer. He is passionate and warm-hearted, and encouraging of his son's friendship and eventual affair with Oliver. Towards the end of the film and novel, he expresses his approval for Elio and Oliver's relationship, suggesting that the love they share is something very special, and urging Elio to grow rather than to repress his feelings about their relationship.

Casting

In 2015, it was reported that Shia LaBeouf and Greta Scacchi were set to be cast in a film adaptation of the novel. In September 2016, Ivory had confirmed that the duo were no longer involved in the project. Ivory said he got along with LaBeouf, who had read for the film in New York City, but the production company later felt the actor was unsuitable after the public and media attention regarding his "various troubles". Ivory thought Scacchi and LeBeouf read well together and could have made it into the film, but the company disagreed.

In 2013, Chalamet was introduced to Guadagnino by Brian Swardstrom – husband of producer Peter Spears – who immediately felt the actor had "the ambition, the intelligence, the sensitivity, the naivety, and the artistry" that was required in order to play Elio. Chalamet had already read Aciman's novel prior to being cast and described it as "a window into a young person". His character, 17-year-old Elio, is fluent in three languages: English, French and Italian. Upon his arrival in Italy, Chalamet—who already spoke French fluently and had played piano and guitar for years—prepared for his role with a schedule of daily lessons in Italian, gym workouts three times a week, and by working with composer Roberto Solci.

Reception

The Economist described the tension "between pain and pleasure" in the film and praised Chalamet portrayal of Elio, saying that he "evokes so many shades of humanity, portraying a path of youthful self-discovery that is more raw, unhinged, and ultimately honest than many actors could manage".

For Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson wrote that "Chalamet has the bearing of a natural; he’s deeply committed to his character" and that he also manages to "infuse Elio with something of himself, too, as the best movie stars do". He also writes that "Chalamet seems to know that he’s got an innate charm, a boyish grace, and he uses that to striking effect. Elio, soulful and impetuous and a little bratty, is a kid you’ve known, a kid you wanted to be, a kid you care and root for", before calling his portrayal of Elio "a mature and thoughtful performance, and it augurs great things for Chalamet going forward".

Performance recognition

At the age of 22, Chalamet became the youngest Best Actor nominee since 1939, in addition to nominations at BAFTA, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and a Critics' Choice Awards for Best Actor.

At the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards, Chalamet won the Best Male Lead Award, other accolades he won included; The National Board of Review, the Gotham Independent Film Awards and the Hollywood Film Awards for Breakout Actor, respectively.

IndieWire, in a series of articles regarding the best of film in the 2010s, named Chalamet's portrayal of Elio as the 39th best film performance of the 2010s.