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A COMING-OF-age drama centred on a romance between the two lead male characters was set to have its last showing this week at Dublin’s Light House Cinema, after becoming its longest running film of all time.
Call Me By Your Name first came to the Light House in October, and has been running at the cinema in Smithfield ever since, with at least one showing a week.
Set in 1983, it tells the story of 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and the experience of his first love while spending the summer at his family’s holiday home in Italy.
This love comes in the form of Oliver (Armie Hammer), a doctoral student hired to assist Elio’s father in his research.
Their relationship develops but with a bittersweet edge in this coming-of-age drama.
The film received critical acclaim and a number of award nominations, including nominations for best picture, best adapted screenplay and best actor for Chalamet at this year’s Academy Awards.
But why has it so gripped Irish audiences that they kept coming to see the film week after week?
Charlene Lydon, programmer for the cinema, told TheJournal.ie that they was general awareness that they had a really good film on their hands, but didn’t believe it would do as well as it did.
She said: “It’s been going on for 30 weeks now. We all had an instinct it’d do very well.
It became clear once we were doing one or two shows during the week well into the New Year that it was something special.
Lydon said that a community had developed around the film, and that staff at the cinema often see the same faces returning to see it again and again.
“We also realised people were going to see it for the fifth or sixth time,” she said. “I know a lot of people thought it was good, but it really is a beautiful film experience.
You’re watching people fall in love. Visually, it’s a nice space to be in… And so many different types of people come to see it. It’s obviously had a positive reaction in the LGBT community but it’s not just that. It’s a love story.
Lydon added that the awful weather during the winter and early spring may have played a part in drawing more people into the cinema generally.
The previous longest running film at the 10-year-old cinema had been Manchester By The Sea, which ran for weeks and months after its release at the end of 2016.
That plot of this focuses on Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), who becomes the guardian of his temperamental nephew Patrick, when his brother dies of a heart attack.
That ran for 26 weeks and Lydon said a similar community grew up around that film.
“We’d have it every Sunday at 10 o’clock,” she said. “We kept seeing the same people, and some even made friends with each other over the film. It was nice to see.”
Looking ahead, it could be take time before a film eclipses Call Me By Your Name in terms of longevity on the cinema listings, but Lydon had a few recommendations if you’re heading to the cinema but steering clear of the blockbusters this summer.
“There’s the new documentary about Alexander McQueen which is a fantastic watch,” she said. “There’s Dublin Oldschool coming out at the end of June, and then a lovely horror film called Hereditary out in the middle of the month.”
But… But …. We’re attracting these companies because of our educated workforce and links to Europe right? Best small country to do business according to the dear leader… Surely he can’t have been wrong?
Ive been in many meetings where that sentence is the butt of a good few jokes.
This is down to American Tax law, so unless the cabinet are deciding American Tax Law then you’ve chewed too many of those pink tablets.
First of many deals to go I’m afraid.
Will facebook google and the like still be here in 10years?
IFSC will be the next ghost estate.
Cheerful.
You’re right. sad but true. Noonan should be making it easier for companies to dodge tax, not harder. It’s the only thing we have to offer. Our workforce is too expensive and the infrastructure is simply not on par, even with Poland.
Exactly. Who cares if we are offering them a way of paying less tax? It doesn’t matter if it boosts our economy at the expense of America’s. We are absolutely screwed if these companies pack up and leave due to decades of neglect towards indigenous businesses.
Obama the bollox
I thought the yanks just love the irish
no just the tax rates. and easily exploitable muppets in Government
Apparently only when we’re a tax haven.
what is it with the gimps who “run” this country , they always give away any “aces” they have up their sleeves for no payback. Its like they just want to be good poodles for their handlers in Europe
What has this to do with Ireland.
Some people really think that the world revolves around this place, that they are trying to shaft us or are laughing at us or we have it the worst in the world in this “kip”.
America is doing here what is in its own tax interest, they couldn’t give a fucj who is in charge here. That doesn’t come in to it.
What it does show is that focusing on Multi-nationals leaves the country very open to changes in American domestic policy.
Ordinary people were never going to benefit from this anyway
I work in the pharma industry here in Ireland and this takeover deal was (is?) huge. It is a great opportunity for Ireland – and UK based – Shire. The inevitable consequences of the negative publicity over the past year I’m afraid. Bad for business and bad for Ireland over the long term in my opinion.
Yea but no offense, the pharma industry has a lot to answer for in terms of ethics and general human health
It was bound to happen, given all the publicity. I’m confident our government will find some way around it, after all they’ve been codding us for years, Obama will be a doddle.
Very good, Martin! Let’s hope you’re right.
Keep big pharma away from this country, corrupted killers making money, should be buried in a desert somewhere.
shouldnt you be dancing at a crossroads somewhere?
With Comey maidens – or youths, whichever floats your boat?
The same desert you’ve your head buried in? Pharma and Med. Device companies are our biggest employers and account for over 50 billion in ex ports from this country. I bet you’d go to a faith healer if you got sick. Best of luck with that.
One thing about Pharma is the vast imports that it brings in as well, so the net benefit to the country is not as large as it looks when you say 50bn in exports.
Agriculture is surprisingly eaves the most in Ireland’s hands out of exports, money circulating in the economy than Pharma.
They are all just slices in a pie, mind you, but Pharma is in no way our largest sector employer. In all the companies and all the spin off jobs for there would still only be under 3% of the workforce.
Fools those who are negative & for giving in to the EU. US companies really only have a couple of choices uk, Israel or us. If the krauts spoke English they would go there. Posted on this before. Who gives a sh€t how much corporate tax they pay, it’s the PAYE, PRSI & USC take that makes the difference, by local employment. Shame on the government & naysayers for pushing reform. The right move was to cut it to 5% and stick two fingers to Brussels, what could they have done? Their broke, kick us out & watch everyone else jump with us. The tax on the fees alone on the merger alone would have been €50m – grow some balls Ireland. We’re paid up and EU is on the ropes
No more tax dodging and money laundering through Ireland for multinationals so.
One last point because the anti pharm guy’s wound me up. The U.S. Won’t change tax policy more than cosmetics. Who the hell do you think provides the $1bn it takes to get elected in the states? – Santa?
They just tryin drive a hard bizargain, know’m sayin?
For Christ sake it’s only 3-10% but the PAYE take is at least double of Ag, given the tax breaks. I’m a big fan of farming and the industry but the average Ag business doesn’t employ folks at the same rate after tax breaks. Cut corporate tax on strict employment requirements and the country will pick up. Even line factory guys pick up €20-30k+ per year all in. Farm folk just can’t pay that give the current prices. You think Iceland or Singapore would take this sh€t? We need to start looking after ourselves.
Uh oh
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