It’s easy to focus entirely on the intense pull between Elio and Oliver when watching Call Me by Your Name. Their relationship dominates the film emotionally, but it isn’t the only love story unfolding that summer. Running alongside it is another bond — less dramatic, but just as meaningful in its own way.
That relationship is between Elio and Marzia, his longtime friend, played by Esther Garrel.
More Than One Love Story
Marzia has known Elio all her life, and over the course of the summer, her feelings for him deepen into love. Yet she finds herself pushed aside when Oliver enters Elio’s world. In André Aciman’s novel, Marzia’s role is more limited, but the film expands her presence in subtle but important ways.
She appears at the beginning, when Elio first meets Oliver, and again at the end, when Elio returns home after Oliver’s departure. These moments frame the story emotionally, reminding us that Elio’s experience is not defined by a single relationship alone.
Marzia’s Place in Elio’s Summer
What makes Marzia stand out is that she is never treated as an obstacle or a temporary distraction. Through Esther Garrel’s performance and Luca Guadagnino’s direction, Marzia becomes a grounding presence in Elio’s life — someone who understands more than she says and stays even when it hurts.
This is why many viewers found themselves drawn to her character, sometimes unexpectedly.
“It’s so funny because a lot of girls came up to me after screenings to say, ‘We are on your side,’” Garrel said in an interview before the film’s release. “It was an honor, actually.”
Marzia’s emotional clarity contrasts with Elio’s confusion, and that contrast gives her relationship with him a quiet strength that lingers beyond the film’s most dramatic moments.
Esther Garrel and the Role of Marzia
Call Me by Your Name marked Esther Garrel’s first major step into American cinema. In France, however, she was already considered an actress to watch. She received a César Award nomination as one of the year’s “discoveries” for her role in her father’s film L’amant d’un jour (Lover for a Day).
Garrel also comes from a long line of European film figures. Her grandfather, Maurice Garrel, was a well-known actor; her father, Philippe Garrel, is a key figure of the French New Wave; her mother, Brigitte Sy, is an actress, screenwriter, and director; and her brother, Louis Garrel, is one of France’s most recognisable actors today.
This background initially drew attention during casting, but it was her performance that convinced Guadagnino she was right for the role.
“Yesterday we stayed in the cinema a bit longer towards the end, so I saw the scene of Elio coming back home after he’s parted ways with Oliver, and meeting Marzia again,” Guadagnino said.
“It’s beautiful to see the fabric of the way Esther Garrel acts, and the way [Timothée] does, but also how it becomes very harmonious. It was a privilege to assist that.”
Building a Real Connection On Set
Much has been said about how immersive the filming process was for Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, who spent weeks together in a small Italian town before shooting began. A similar approach applied to Garrel and Chalamet, whose characters are meant to have known each other for years.
“You don’t want to create any sort of artificial intimacy,” Chalamet explained.
“Similar to Armie, we had the privilege of spending weeks together in advance and getting to know each other. When it came time for shooting [the sex scene], because Luca made me feel so comfortable in front of his lens, it just felt like another scene.”
Garrel described the experience in much the same way, emphasising the openness and trust on set.
“Timothée is very generous and playful on the set,” she said.
“It’s paradise to work with him. We spent a lot of time together because of the story between our two characters… We were only focused on what we had to play, what we had to do.”
Why Marzia’s Story Still Matters
Elio and Marzia’s relationship briefly became the subject of controversy when promotional material suggested a more traditional romantic narrative, which many viewers felt misrepresented the film. But within the story itself, their connection remains carefully balanced.
Garrel has spoken about how personally the film resonated with her.
“I’m 26, and I’ve had a first love,” she said.
“Obviously this movie hits home in that aspect. It wakes something within you, and it’s also a little shocking because it brings you back to that moment.”
Unlike Elio’s relationship with Oliver, Marzia’s bond with him unfolds in a steadier, more enduring way. She recognises his feelings for Oliver early on, yet chooses to stay close.
“I think that really quickly, Marzia sees the attraction of Elio for Oliver, but she doesn’t care because she loves him so much,” Garrel explained.
“Her feelings for him exceed everything. She cares about him more than her own happiness. Maybe that’s why, in the end, their relationship as friends is not broken.”
In this sense, Marzia’s love story may not be the most dramatic one in Call Me by Your Name, but it remains one of the film’s most lasting emotional threads.
Featured image: © Denis Makarenko – Dreamstime.com