WE ARE WHO WE ARE
BBC3, SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER, FROM 6AM/ BBC1, TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER, 10.45PM
Writer/director Luca Guadagnino is best known for his 2017 Oscar-winning film Call Me By Your Name, which became a pop culture phenomenon, and not just because it featured a sexual act with a peach. Now, he’s made his first TV series – an eight-part drama co-produced by HBO and Sky (but, surprisingly, airing on the BBC here in the UK). It’s set in 2016, on a US army base on the lush northern Italian coast, where teenagers Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin (Jordan Kristine Seamón) forge a fast friendship, bonding over their outsider identities. On the surface, it’s exactly what you might expect from a TV drama made by the director of Call Me By Your Name. But there’s so much more to it than that.
ARMY DREAMERS
The drama focuses initially on Fraser, a highly-strung high-schooler who’s just arrived in the Italian town of Chioggia with his mum Sarah and her wife Maggie, who both work for the army. While Sarah, who’s about to take over as Colonel at the base, and Maggie get to know their new colleagues and workplace, Fraser roams around town, observing a group of young friends as they hang out at the beach and catching the eye of outgoing American Britney (Francesca Scorsese) in particular, with his goofy manner. She introduces him to her dreamy gang, and he’s drawn to the enigmatic Caitlin, who’s got boyfriend issues and is initially suspicious of him. Fraser also forms a connection with hot young soldier Jonathan Kritchevsky (Tom Mercier), who turns out to be his mum’s assistant. It’s going to get complicated.
FREEWHEELING AND FLUID
Guadagnino explores this world in wonderfully freewheeling style. Everything is fluid, from Fraser and Caitlin’s attitude to sexuality and gender, to the narrative and mood of the whole show. Episode two retells the events of ep one, but from Caitlin’s point of view, while another fully immerses us in a party at an abandoned mansion. The series is a beautifully made celebration of the freedom and potential of youth. There are dark and shocking moments, too, but getting to know these young people and their world is a glorious experience.