Cop Car & Call Me By Your Name

Am I the only one who watched Cop Car? For the most part, I enjoyed it, so thanks for the pick, Mike. It was never on my radar, so I would've completely missed it otherwise. The film is pretty straight-forward (in terms of plot) and feels like a fucked up coming of age story. The young kids who stumble upon a temporarily abandoned sheriff's cruiser are written and played in a very authentic way. They're dumb (though not for their age), innocent, and just looking to have fun and be kids. There are some good details in the film, including the kids' concern that a cop might get their fingerprints from a rock. I also love that they dare each other to do dumb shit, like running up and touching the titular cop car. This eventually escalates to the two boys driving away in the car and going for a joyride on the highway.

The movie also does a great job of capturing how dangerous a car is/can seem to kids. When I was younger (around the age of the kids in the movie, but probably younger), my mom went into a friend's house while my brothers and I stayed in the car. I believe she had put the e-brake on, and either she didn't pull it up far enough or I fucked around with it because the car slowly began to move forward toward the friend's car and garage. I was in the front seat and when I realized what was happening, I panicked and informed Jeff and Brent that we were moving. We were all young kids who didn't understand how cars worked, so the resolution took a lot longer than it should have. Luckily, Brent figured it out and put the car into park before anything awful or destructive happened. I'm thankful he was in the car because I definitely remember feeling too overwhelmed and scared to anything. I'm also thankful that the friend's driveway was pretty flat. Had we been on an incline, the car would've gone back toward a busy Route 12 and its 55 MPH speed limit.

So ultimately, no harm, no foul in my story but the same cannot be said for Cop Car. Like 2017's Good Time, bad decisions tend to snowball and lives are ruined simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those kind of stories always feel true to life and as awful as they are, I enjoy them. Kevin Bacon's character is interesting to watch; even though he's a piece of shit, he's smart and resourceful. I never wanted him to succeed at any point, but he was still compelling to watch. I also love the fact that there isn't much difference between Bacon's corrupt cop character and Shea Whigham's lowlife scumbag character. They both dangerous characters at the end of their rope. I can't imagine Jon Watts and Christopher Ford set out to make any sort of political statement about law enforcement in our country, so I'll be the one to say that I enjoyed the similarities in behavior and dialogue of the two characters. Dangerous criminals and bad cops are one and the same.

Overall, I don't have many complaints about Cop Car. The ending is pretty dumb, especially the moment when Kevin Bacon comes back one last time (like a killer in a horror movie) to ram the back of the cop car that the kids are driving, just so that he can the title of the film. I really could have done without it.

When I watched Call Me By Your Name the first time, I was definitely distracted and didn't feel as if I gave it a fair shake. While beautifully shot and acted, I just couldn't get into it. The "summer-ness" of it provides positive feelings and nostalgia, but I didn't feel like the relationship between Elio and Oliver didn't have as much as to say as other recent LBGTQ films. I know that you guys aren't too big on Moonlight, but honestly, the ending of that film really made it great in my mind. When Chiron admits to Kevin that he hasn't been with anyone since their encounter on the beach, it is an immense moment of vulnerability. The weight of Kevin's response/reaction is handled perfectly and their embrace at the end is beautiful and cathartic. I don't feel as if there is a comparable moment in Call Me By Your Name. It almost feels too tame or too early 2000s in message.

After watching it for a second time, I will say that I do appreciate it more...but I still don't love it. The performances are one of the strongest aspects of the film. Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet have great chemistry, but I never found myself rooting for their relationship. It always just feels like a summer fling - not that we can't learn something from those relationships - and nothing more. Michael Stulhbarg delivers a beautiful speech about love and the special relationship that Elio and Oliver have, but I don't know that I necessarily feel that those words apply to what they had. For young Elio, Oliver represents his first love. There's something to be said for first loves, but what we take away from them is more self- reflective and focused.

Other than the performances, I love natural lighting and colors in the film. I felt nostalgia for the summers of my youth when friends and family would just hang out day after day, have meals together, and do things outside. There's also something very familiar with the idea of sharing close quarters with someone you're attracted to - and that pain and frustration when they ignore you. That was executed pretty well and hats off to Chalamet for his performance (I still prefer him in Lady Bird, though).

I know for some, the age difference between Oliver and Elio is an important talking point. There are nice moments when Oliver expresses sagacious thoughts about love and relationships, but it's never something that is truly explored, I feel. There is a nice balance of Oliver trying to do the right thing and doing the things he wants to do, but those moments only seem to crop up here and there. I know this is deliberate and this is more of Elio's story than it is Oliver's, but I would've liked to have seen more of the Oliver's point of view.