After the premiere of “Call Me by Your Name,” which captivated audiences worldwide, everyone eagerly anticipated a reunion between Guadagnino, Timothée Chalamet, and Armie Hammer. The most logical step seemed to be adapting André Aciman’s “Find Me,” which revisited Elio and Oliver years later. However, during the project’s development, Armie Hammer faced severe backlash, effectively shelving the sequel to one of the most tender love stories of the 21st century. In the five years following “Call Me by Your Name,” Guadagnino solidified his status as an international director, Chalamet starred in “Dune” and became a superstar, and it seemed the moment for a collaboration had passed. Yet, to the delight of fans, Chalamet returns to the intimate romantic drama format in the Italian director’s new film, “Bones and All.”
Taylor Russell in a still from “Bones and All”
The film is based on Camille DeAngelis’s novel of the same name, about a young woman with cannibalistic tendencies who seeks out her mother, who abandoned her as a child. While many have joked about the connection between the film’s plot and the disgraced Hammer, Guadagnino denies any link. Cannibalism here serves not as an exotic kink, but as a metaphor for human relationships.
A Journey of Self-Discovery
Eighteen-year-old Maren (Taylor Russell) lives with her father (André Holland from “The Knick”), but they never stay in one place for long due to Maren’s craving for human flesh. After another bloody incident, her father leaves her with a wad of cash and an audio cassette containing a farewell monologue. Maren decides to search for her mother (Chloë Sevigny), who left the family years ago and seemingly suffered from the same affliction. Along the way, she meets the peculiar loner cannibal Sully (Mark Rylance) and the equally lonely but far more appealing Lee (Timothée Chalamet), who decides to help her find her mother. The characters embark on a journey through 1980s America, accompanied by an unexpectedly lyrical soundtrack by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, and, as is typical in road movies, ultimately find themselves.
Timothée Chalamet as Lee in a still from “Bones and All”
Blending Horror and Romance
In 2018, Guadagnino presented his remake of Dario Argento’s classic horror film “Suspiria” in Venice. It was a departure from the Italian director’s usual romantic dramas. The stylistic experiment was only partially successful, but it revealed the director’s inclination towards darker and more unsettling stories. In “Bones and All,” he attempts to merge the aesthetic bloodthirstiness of “Suspiria” with the tender melodrama of “Call Me by Your Name.” Before the film’s first screening, critics anxiously warned each other to brace themselves for something terrifying, but “Bones and All” doesn’t aim to shock. It will seem all the more restrained to those who enjoy films by Lars von Trier, David Cronenberg, and Julia Ducournau. Cannibalism in “Bones and All” is a unique language of love, understood only by those who share it. Guadagnino doesn’t exploit the theme but emphasizes the importance of finding one’s own people and finding peace in this life.
Timothée Chalamet as Lee in a still from “Bones and All”
Taylor Russell’s Breakthrough Performance
Amidst the discussions about the long-awaited reunion of Chalamet and Guadagnino, it’s easy to overlook that the film’s focus is Maren, played by Taylor Russell, in what can be called her breakthrough role. She effortlessly carries the film, and Chalamet’s performance only enhances her strength. The young pair of actors are supported by brilliant veterans: the incomparable Rylance in an indescribable costume that embodies all the clichés about America; the surprisingly underused Michael Stuhlbarg; and Chloë Sevigny, who appears in only one scene. It seems wasteful to underutilize such talented actors, but apparently, Guadagnino can afford to do so.
A Fleeting Connection
It’s difficult to judge love stories – everyone’s is unique, but the delicate mechanics of connecting hearts on screen (pardon the banality) worked better in “Call Me by Your Name,” where the director conveyed all the emotions without words. The scene where Elio and Oliver silently confess their love for each other could be taught in film schools. In “Bones and All,” Guadagnino is more careless with the romantic storyline, and it seems that the characters fall in love because the plot demands it. The film works better as a coming-of-age story. Essentially, “Bones and All” paints the rather trivial but painful theme of separation from parents with the colors of a horror film. In the case of Maren and Lee, it’s a matter of life and death. The director ventures into the territory of Julia Ducournau’s “Raw” and even, to some extent, “Titanic,” where a girl learns to better understand herself through a romantic relationship (further similarities to Cameron’s film cannot be explained without spoilers). Unfortunately, all these comparisons do not favor Guadagnino. “Bones and All” is charming, but fleeting, like a roadside encounter that you forget about in a couple of days.