Youth (I) (2015) User Reviews

Youth is in the eye of the beholder

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 16 December 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. With a Best Foreign Language Oscar for his previous film The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza), expectations were sky high for this one from writer/director Paolo Sorrentino. Cinematographer Luca Bigazzi is also back and the two create yet another artistic entrée that is a visual extravaganza, worthy of the admission price even if no dialogue existed. Combine the visual artistry with a commentary on age and emotions, and the result is a film that will either enchant or stultify … with probably no middle ground.

Michael Caine stars as Fred Ballinger, a renowned Orchestra conductor, who is vacationing at a stunning Swiss Alps spa with his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz) and his long-time best friend, screenwriter Mick Boyd (Harvey Keitel). Fred, a self-professed retiree, is being pursued by Queen Elizabeth's representative to perform one last concert. Fred is adamant in his refusal … for personal reasons we later learn are due to his nostalgic belief that his wife (no longer able to sing) is the only one who will sing his "simple" songs as long as he is alive. In the meantime, Mick is working with a group of ambitious young writers in an attempt to leave a legacy with his most important film ever. So you can already see that both men are working through their golden years in different ways.

Lena is devastated when her husband dumps her for a young pop singer (played by the real pop singer, Paloma Faith). Oh, one other detail … Lena's husband is also Mick's son (Ed Stoppard). This makes for some awkward (but entertaining) moments, and also leads to one of the film's best scenes – Lena spilling her emotional guts to Fred while they are both covered in a mud bath. Director Sorrentino is a master at twisting these poignant moments with dashes of levity or irony. Another example is when Miss Universe (Romanian model Madalina Diana Ghenea) puts a condescending movie actor (Paul Dano) in his place with a devastating shift in tone and a comeback for the ages.

Sorrentino executes a couple of bizarre dream or fantasy sequences – one with Fred conducting a cow pasture (replete with cows and other bits of nature), and another with Mick being haunted in a meadow by all the female stars from his films (each in costume of their character). Suffice to say, this is not a conventional look at aging. What's also clear is that Sorrentino believes our emotions drive our actions. The most jarring example is the aftermath when Mick's long-time leading lady Brenda Morel (played by Jane Fonda) declines to appear in his latest film.

Even the most bizarre segments are presented with a visual artistry that forces our brains to process overtime. How about an obese Diego Maradona (played by Roly Serrano) repeatedly kicking tennis balls into the air? Or big time actor Jimmy Tree (Dano) struggling with his decision to sellout by appearing in a popular robot movie instead of pursuing his desire to be taken seriously as an actor? Or Lena bouncing back with a socially awkward mountain man? Or the seemingly minor role of a young masseuse (played by Luna Zimic Mijovic) who has us yearning for more? In addition to how each of these segments is startling to look at, Jane Fonda's role has so many nuances that an entire movie could be made about her.

As with The Great Beauty, the film will have the most profound impact on those of us old enough to be looking through the binoculars and noticing how far away the past looks … and wondering just how long until "Life's Last Day".

Youth

[letig1994 · 8/10 · 20 May 2015]

Once again, Paolo Sorrentino proves to be a master of cinema and doesn't disappoint. The story is set in an apparently isolated place: a luxury hotel in the mountains of Switzerland inhabited mainly by artists and people from the show business (curious the reference to Maradona, thanked by Sorrentino during his Oscar acceptance speech).

Youth is a tender film in both the characters and the themes: growing old and the fears related to it are common to all men. Fred (Michael Caine) is an old man who still has a lot going on in his life: he has to deal with friendship, love, family and his career. The only thing that makes him different from the younger people surrounding him is that he is aware of memory. It is through memory that he has lost and that he tries to regain his identity. Everyone in the film is in search for identity: the contrast between how people see them and what they want to be seen as.

The screenplay is complex and intense and for this reason sometimes hard to follow. I loved the irony Sorrentino always puts in his movies: through surrealism he is capable of expressing humanity in a simple but yet beautiful way. All the cast delivers great performances and cinematography is absorbing as always. Sorrentino is a director of places: no matter if it is the Eternal City of Rome or an hotel immersed in nature - he is able to capture all the beauty of it.

What the film teaches us, in the end, is that we are what we do - so, I'd add, it's better if we do what we are - but we are nothing without love, which is the driving force of humanity.

Nine reasons to go watch this film

[rubenm · 8/10 · 10 October 2015]

* The parade of weird characters in the Alpine luxury resort where the entire film is set - from an obese football player with a tattoo of Karl Marx on his back to a masseuse with braces who declares she likes touching more than talking, and imitates dancing cartoon characters in her spare time.

* The way Jane Fonda's character is introduced - initially filmed from the back, then showing her smile in the reflection of a mirror, and finally facing the camera, radiating maximum diva charisma.

* The abundance of funny dialogue. Here's just one example: - 'Im great in bed'. - 'I know' - 'How do you know?' - 'Because you're my daughter'.

* The lush cinematography, making the film a feast for the eyes.

* The fact that this film is funny, dramatic and melancholic at the same time, and also surprising, entertaining, beautiful, philosophical and versatile.

* Michael Caine, at 82, playing one of the best parts of his career.

* The completely over-the-top video clip by Paloma Faith, which is integrated in the film as a dream sequence.

* The end of the dramatic conversation between Jane Fonda and Harvey Keitel, with both faces filmed sideways in close-up, on both sides of the screen, and finally Fonda's hand on Keitel's cheek.

* The overall sense of watching an extraordinary film.

Either you love it or you get nothing from it.

[pise-65431 · 10/10 · 30 May 2015]

I'm not a professional in film reviews, to begin with. I'm just an University student who's got an enormous passion for cinema. It was years since a movie moved my soul in such a profound way. I was stunned when I saw that the movie summed up a 7.5 rating here on IMDb. I thought about this fact for some days, then I kind of make up my answer. "Youth" is the symbol of many struggles in cinema and in people's mind. American movies and many Europeans ones as well are so easy to like, just because they're easy to follow. They show facts, actions, somehow explained by words and some ideas. Ideas are like the salt we put on on our meals to make them tasty. Films like "Youth" are the exact opposite: words and ideas are the "meal", and a few actions are the "salt". Actually all the actions are at the end of the movie, they could be perceived as a climax, but they're more like the conclusion of complex exchanges of ideas throughout the movie. I won't comment about technical features, because I don't have the expertise to do it. I just say that the soundtrack is somewhere near perfection, editing as well and there some beautifully shot scenes. As I said, my concern is not about that. "Youth" make the viewer think about life, old age, ethics, it accompanies us through some beautiful ideas, and this is where all pros and cons stay. This movie doesn't look for easy ways to impress the viewer, to make him/her somehow forcefully interested to what the screen shows, it requests an open mind and what I ironically call "the 51st shade": a fetish to thoughts, not only to material things. Some people don't like Sorrentino because they consider him a "radical chic intellectual". It is a righteous choice to be against "intellectualism" whatsoever, but it is as well righteous to be against ignorance.

The Real Great Beauty

[cerca-sonia · 9/10 · 23 June 2015]

When it comes to Paolo Sorrentino I don't know what to expect. On one hand I loved his first English work "This Must Be The Place" starring a wonderful Sean Penn; on the other hand I didn't quite enjoy his Oscar Winner "The Great Beauty". I was actually afraid this one was going to be another attempt at being Fellini. But Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Paul Dano and Rachel Weisz gave me the push to watch it. I'm glad I didn't wait, because this is Sorrentino's greatest beauty.

Youth is a brilliant, intense, philosophical, and moving film about life and death, youth and oldness, loneliness and friendship.

As I watched the film I thought the title was deceiving. I thought it was only about being old, and I couldn't find the real meaning of it. But as I'm writing this, has passed almost a week since I saw it, and I've got enough time to think about it. Now, I do realize it is about the importance of youth, because it praises old age as that moment in life when you think about your past.

Masterfully directed and written by Paolo Sorrentino, the film is enhanced by a deep, witty, and provocative dialogue, a wonderful and breathtaking photography by Luca Bigazzi, spectacular scenography, and sublime music.

The acting is first class. Michael Caine shines in the leading role, delivering an intense performance as Fred Ballinger. The supporting cast does a wonderful job as well. Old, but young inside Harvey Keitel, and young, but old inside Paul Dano are perfect in portraying the contrast between youth and oldness. Rachel Weisz delivers another great performance. Jane Fonda's cameo is great too. The one that surprised me the most is Luna Zimic Mijovic, who plays the masseuse.

Read more at afilmadaybysonia.blogspot.com

Beautiful film with some flaws in the dialogue

[El_John · 7/10 · 30 November 2015]

If there ever was a trailer that could not sell his movie right, then it is the one for ''Youth'' by acclaimed director Paolo Sorrentino, who's previous film was the Oscar-winning ''The Great Beauty''. The trailer made it look like a generic feel-good comedy, but it turned out to be a heart-warming, emotional and beautiful film.

The story takes place in a resort hotel in the Alps, where a retired conductor (Michael Caine) and his friend, a film director (Harvey Keitel) who writes the screenplay for his ''Testament'', are on holiday. Both are confronted with their past, future and momentariness.

Both actors have a great supporting cast on their side, everyone with their own burdens: Rachel Weisz plays Caine's daughter who is also his assistant, who feels neglected by her father and, in an great emotional monologue, expresses her feelings towards him. Paul Dano plays a character actor who is only known for a single insignificant role and wants to be recognized as a versatile actor. Jane Fonda plays a Diva who was a regular collaborator with Keitel's character and also has a great dialogue scene with him. Other characters are a retired Maradonaesque football player and a masseuse who touches than talks and many other great characters.

It would seem that all these ''damaged'' characters would give this film an overly sentimental tone, but drama and humor is so well balanced that the shift between comedy (and there is a lot of it) and drama never seems abrupt and doesn't interrupt the pacing of the film.

From the first minute on one will clearly see what Sorrentinos strength as a director is: Extremely beautiful visuals. Whether it is just the landscape or the daily routine of the people within the hotel: Every frame is just beautifully composed and looks astonishing. Rarely can a film with a run time of 2 hours constantly produce one great looking shot after the other. In combination with the great score by David Lang, ''Youth'' creates a unique and relaxing atmosphere that will ensure a great time at the theater.

As great as this movie may sound so far, it unfortunately is not flawless. As funny and great the dialogue is, at times it ruins the film completely with how unsubtle some of the important character moments are. In one scene, Caine and Dano are in a store and a little girl approaches Dano. She tells him that she knows him from a movie. He immediately assumes that she is referring to his robot role, but then she talks about a little known drama and tells him how it affected her life and instantly after her dialogue is finished she runs away with the camera facing Danos reaction so everybody in the audience knows that it was an important scene for his character. Another examples would be ham fisted lines like: ''What awaits me outside?'' -''Youth'' or the scene with the binocular from the trailer. The problem with these scenes is not that they are bad, on the contrary, they are important for the films' themes and characters. The problem is that they feel disconnected from the narrative and do not feel like they fit naturally within the plot.

A not so little gem along the others!

[micule-ieva · 10/10 · 19 July 2019]

My first comment is among these days when films are fast & supposed to be exciting this film is slow with subtle words and actions. It is so rare to witness that. I should recommend watching more films like this one. Not to mention the performance of the actors who give this feeling. I don't about the crew or producers, but the director Paolo Sorrentino had nailed it - all of it!

Sights, sounds and thoughts

[Unknownian · 7 March 2017]

As a younger man, I probably wouldn't have cared much for this movie, because as a younger man, I wasn't preoccupied with getting older, and the consequences of reaching the September of my life.

However, as a musician, photographer, and a baby boomer, I absolutely loved it. I would have given it 10 stars except for a poorly written character trait implied in Michael Cain's "Fred Ballinger" to appeal to the gay community for God knows what reason. It doesn't fit into the character's personality or lifestyle at all, and so it made no sense and was purely gratuitous.

Aside from that issue, and the fact that the movie begins with a female singer (Maria Letizia Gorga) who is so talent-less, I have to mute the remote until she is finished, I found this movie to be a "masterpiece", combining sights, sounds and thoughts in a totally original fashion, and takes place in a setting I can't recall ever seeing in any other motion picture. In contrast to the opening singer, the last singer (Sumi Jo) is "extremely" talented.

The acting is flawless from all involved, as is the casting, sets, editing, and most of all: 'the music'. I have since purchased the blu-ray of this film, and have watched it more times than I'd care to admit, and I've never been able to control my emotions at the very end with the voice of an angel soprano singing her heart out to a song that not only should have been nominated for an Oscar (it was), but should have won it hands down. 'Simple Song #3'

If you're an action addict, this film isn't for you. However, if you like beautiful scenery, music, and talent from all involved, you may like this film as much as I did: One of my top ten favorites.

Michael Caine does appear in some mediocre films doesn't he?

[tonypeacock-1 · 6/10 · 11 May 2023]

Mediocre is how I would describe this film in one word. The film directed by Paolo Sorrentino is primarily based in a Swiss health spa beneath the Alps. Picturesque yes but quite boring. The film has two old guys as the central characters. Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) and Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel). The best friends bide their slow paced, idyllic lives by having private bets, reminiscing old sexual conquests and comparing prostate issues. Ballinger is a retired orchestra conducter and Boyle is a still active film director. I was attracted to the film by the relatively all-star cast including Rachel Weisz and a cameo by Paloma Faith. However at least half an hour could have been cut to speed up the dreary pace. Ballinger is hounded for want of a better word by HM The Queen to come out of retirement and perform his 'Simple Songs?' The locations do not make up for the shortcomings that I have addressed and I was left disappointed.

One of the best films of the year

[murtaza_mma · 8/10 · 15 November 2015]

There is a sense of nostalgia in the films of Paolo Sorrentino. The nostalgia often comes across as a sense of regret for the loss of innocent love experienced by the central characters during their youth. Such a regret can easily fills one's heart with melancholy but Sorrentino seems to have mastered the art of mixing gravity with levity. His films can be both serious and farcical at the same time and that's why they are more complex than what they prima facie appear. Youth‬ is no different.

Here is a film about larger-than-life oldies pining for their long past golden years of youth. We have a retired conductor (Michael Caine), a self-indulgent filmmaker well past his prime (Harvey Keitel), an insecure actor (Paul Dano), a mountaineer, a Miss Universe with brains, and an overweight footballer (most probably based on Maradona). There is a lively cameo from Jane Fonda who plays a legendary actress from Hollywood and then there is Rachel Weisz who plays the conductor's daughter.

Among other things (which certainly include Sorrentino's brilliant direction), it is the performances of Caine and Keitel that makes it a treat to watch. While Keitel steals every scene that he is a part of, Caine delivers a deeply nuanced performance around which the entire movie revolves. Youth is nowhere near being Sorrentino's best but it is certainly one of the best films of the year.

For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

Beautiful

[steelshell · 7/10 · 8 June 2017]

I'd never heard of this movie, but I was quickly drawn into it, and found it quite beautiful. The storyline is simple, the pace is slow, yet it manages to effortlessly entertain. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the score absolutely perfect...each of the actors/actresses does a wonderful job in their roles. The film does well to portray a varying range of life, and especially the journey of growing old. I'm so glad to have stumbled upon this movie - it is a true gem!

An Audio and Visual Tour de Force

[A_Different_Drummer · 9/10 · 24 October 2015]

Reviewers Notes, humbly submitted:

1. One of those must-see films that contains images, performances, set pieces and snippets of dialog that will haunt you long after you have left the theatre. My favorite is a throwaway line by Harvey Keitel's character casually explaining why for 60 years he has been gullible in his relationship with Caine's character: "I invent stories ... I have to believe everything in order to make things up." (Keitel) That is what reviewers like to call dialog within dialog.

2. Caine is superb, but then again he is always superb.

3. This is an affectation that this reviewer wants to add: since Sorrentino is very direct about wanting this film to be about age, the experience would be enhanced if you watch 1966's Alfie before seeing Youth. To see Caine (at the time) portraying one of the sexiest men alive will take you to a new level of appreciation for what age is about.

4. Some of the images, clearly surreal, could well set the standard for the medium for years to come. They are not only extraordinary but plentiful. Contrast these for example to TV's American Horror Story which pretends to be leading edge in this regard but in fact is merely recycling stuff from 1970s horror films. This is the real deal.

5. Weisz comes full circle. She started her career doing serious roles in indies, temporarily became a saucy sex goddess, and is now a serious actress once again.

6. Only criticism is a problem I have noticed with other films by strong directors like Woody Allen -- the director, doing double duty as the writer, is virtually God in this production and subconsciously the viewer understands that he or she may as well be watching a film made on Mars, because the energy and the characters are so far removed from reality.

7.5/10

[Giacomo_De_Bello · 7/10 · 20 May 2015]

Sorrentino's follow up to the masterpiece that is "The Great Beauty" proves he is one of the most interesting, unique, energetic and visually stimulating voices in today's cinema even though it does not quite live up to standard he set himself with his previous film. Now, that is in no way a detraction to the film itself, but it definitely left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

I will get out of the way immediately what I found wrong with the film. Firstly, it simply isn't as organic and fluent as it should be. Even the photography is uneven to itself. Now I don't know if that was intentional or not, but the fact that I didn't understand it proves the point. And I am not talking about the surrealist scenes with I actually and obviously adored, I am talking about the overall tone and storytelling which switches gears a little bit too often, especially in the third act. Up until there it wasn't bugging me that much, but the third act made it sink and to this contributed a very weird end credits sequence, if you'll see the movie you'll know what I'm talking about. Moreover, the movie isn't as clear cut as it needs to be. I am not talking about being direct, actually I enjoyed the fact that it is very open to interpretation in parts and directs your interpretation in others, yet again there is too much switching from one to the other and it made for some murky moments throughout. It is not like I want to be told everything, it's just that the film set itself up for being mentally stimulating and it wasn't as much as I wanted. Actually the parts were it was direct were the best, on the other hand I wasn't given enough space or material to think about the more interpretable parts and this made for a slightly and surprisingly forgettable impact.

Fortunately there is much that can be enjoyed, which compensates for the holes that were left there. Firstly, no one does surrealism as good as Sorrentino. There were a couple of sequences were I was just in total ecstasy. Sorrentino knows how to fill that screen and use it to the best of its potential with imagery and he proves here again he is able of delivering absolutely absorbing and exhilarating experiences, the best part being the fact that they aren't a gimmick they always fit the storytelling perfectly. He also knows very, very well how to use music to the best of his advantages. Also brilliant is Luca Bigazzi's cinematography. I know I said it was uneven before and that is true, but when you stop and look at it scene by scene you just cannot take it all in. The cast is also wonderful. Keitel and Caine are simply fantastic, Dano does perfectly what he is given to do, but it's Weiz that for me stole the show and gave another great performance. There are very few actresses that fill the screen appropriately and as perfectly as she does. This film is also enormously quotable, I lost count of how many times in the theater I wished I had a notepad to write down a sentence a character used. Even better is the fact that they always felt genuine and not showy. This speaks to what I said before: the film is miles better in what it says directly to what it leaves open. Now that is not to say that the open ended stuff is bad or aimless. For that type of pseudo-intellectualism s**t just look at "The Tale of Tales" out this week too. That is the type that is simply vain. In this movie it's just very murky, there are some parts that work others that don't but you always feel that it is coming out genuinely.

Overall I really enjoyed myself and I can't define me disappointed, I am just a little bit let down, but then again I was excepting too much. I am still very torn on my grade and will use a future viewing to settle it. This film is worth your time I don't know if it's an 8 or a 7.5, just know that it is very good.

Disappointment

[nelsonrowe · 2/10 · 21 October 2015]

Youth is the sort of film we are supposed to like: esteemed Italian director and Academy Award winner, venerable actors, weighty subject matter. Yet, in the end it is one big disappointment. Here is why, and beware the spoilers.

1. The female characters are portrayed as weak, infantile or voiceless. Rachel Weisz has, by her own account, two jobs: daughter and assistant to her father the famous composer (which make it one job). Unable to pursue her own life, she is also afraid of heights. Although she confronts her father about his failings, we last see her being held like a baby by the bland mountaineer while hanging from the side of a mountain. Jane Fonda, in a brief cameo, berates Harvey Keitel while claiming she made her own career. Yet she is reduced to a raving mess on an airplane after learning of his suicide. The quiet masseuse, when asked why she never speaks, replies that she has nothing to say. Caine's wife is portrayed in just one scene, and she is reduced to nothing more than a catatonic silent scream.

2. Auxiliary characters such as the violin boy and the girl in the store do not emerge organically from the story. Rather they seem to be dropped into the story to mouth the thoughts of the writer/director, who apparently wants to make sure that the audience doesn't miss his intent.

3. The film is over filled with one surrealistic trope after another to the point of bursting.

4. Michael Caine's character is wrought over the realization late in life that devoting his time to his art/work came at the expense of relationships with people who mattered, namely his wife and daughter. Harvey Keitel, seeking to find a continued purpose in life by writing a new screenplay, kills himself upon realizing he can't do it. This is the stuff of a college sophomore who has taken a course in existential philosophy and became fascinated by The Stranger. There is a surface level philosophical question, but not much depth to it.

5. I could go on about the portrayal of emotionally empty sex, dining rooms filled with mute couples and mannequin like guests, people marching like automatons to the spa and so forth, all of which leave the viewer with a dismal view of life.

I give credit to Caine, Keitel and Weisz for doing the best they could with marginal material. The film itself, however, is pretty to look at and dismal to watch.

Beautiful

[Marwan-Bob · 8/10 · 29 May 2020]

What a Beautiful Film, i Think it's too late to say This one it's a must See, Don't Mind The Negative Reviews.

A Masterpiece!

[namashi_1 · 10/10 · 1 November 2015]

Paolo Sorrentino's 'Youth' is a reminder of how powerful & affecting Cinema is. In this multiple themed Masterpiece, we explore many people & their journey together as one, left me astonished. This isn't merely a story that needs to be seen, but it also demands to be felt.

'Youth' Synopsis: A retired orchestra conductor is on holiday with his daughter and his film director best friend in the Alps when he receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to perform for Prince Philip's birthday.

'Youth' is flawless work. Sorrentino's Screenplay is about the eternal struggle between age and youth, the past and the future, life and death, commitment and betrayal. And its all depicted so seamlessly. I was truly blown away. Watching the protagonist & co. explore each other lives as their come under roof, is often saddening, but its so so affecting, as well. The Screenplay flows bravely & the pace remains tight.

Sorrentino's Direction is extraordinary. He's outdone himself here, delivering a story that deals with life & its consequences. Luca Bigazzi's Cinematography is a visual delight. Each & Every Frame has captured the sheer beauty of the nature on display. Editing is crisp. David Lang's Score is incredible. Art & Costume Design are elegant.

Performance-Wise: Sir Michael Caine is at his aging best. Its a masterclass, masterful performance, from this legendary actor! Harvey Keitel is in top-form, complimenting Caine & holding on his own, throughout. Rachel Weisz is magnificent. An Oscar should chase her next year. And The Terrific Paul Dano continues to astonish.

On the whole, 'Youth' cannot be missed. Two Big Thumbs Up!

It's hard to put into words how much I like the film.

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 14 December 2015]

Youth was a film done with total artistic expression. Not since I saw The Great Beauty have I seen a movie that was so much like a moving painting, you watch it and you let it move you.

Fitting that the movie is about an artist. A orchestra conductor long retired spends time vacationing in a long in the Swiss alps accompanied by his oldest friend, a filmmaker working on a new picture.

Michael Caine was magnificent in this picture, but I must admit, I was drawn more to Harvey Keitel's character, mostly because his story was easier to follow. It's more of a standard plot than can be followed. Either way Caine and Keitel were great on the screen together.

Also liked Paul Dano in the picture who sports a vastly different look then I seen him in any of his other pictures.

I must admit that I did not really get what was going on all the time, but I think that was what the filmmakers wanted to do. To create a film that did not fit, or rather he created something that acts as total emotion and is hard to describe why you like it or why you don't

With that said, I really did like the performances of all the actors I mention and the performance of Rachel Weisz who is also in the movie.

I found it a beautiful tale of someone who remembers who he was a lot differently than others do.

Out of breath

[stefanschrama · 10/10 · 5 May 2020]

Barely 5 minutes out of the movie and I am still catching my breath. What started off as a almost comical movie turned into a deeply layered masterpiece. The unexpected, the unnecessary, the necessary... I wish I could express what the scenes do to you as a viewer but you must experience this yourself. Preferably sitting on a not too comfortable couch or chair. This is not a luxurious movie spoiling you, although the scenery of the movie tells otherwise. It takes work, it takes work for you to understand the characters. But please, undergo this work. Feel what they are feeling. See what they are seeing and you will experience, what they are experiencing. I have laughed, cried, judged, held my breath and experienced this movie as ad adventure. Thank you, Paolo Sorrentino.

Youthful.

[anaconda-40658 · 7/10 · 3 March 2016]

Youth (2015): Dir: Paolo Sorrentino / Cast: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda: Memories of yesterday invade one's current state as two longtime friends stay at a resort. Michael Caine plays Fred Ballinger, a retired composer who is approached with an offer to perform for the Queen but he refuses. Harvey Keitel plays Mick Boyle, a struggling filmmaker whose final film is botched when convincing his leading actress to appear becomes problematic. Rachel Weisz plays Lena, Fred's daughter who is reconnecting with him and became his assistant. She finds romance in a poorly handled and distracting subplot regarding a climber. Paul Dano plays a struggling actor who regrets that his most notable role is playing a robot. Jane Fonda makes an appearance as the diva whom Boyle is trying to cast in his film and she delivers an icy yet blunt monologue to Boyle that is painful but true in more ways than one. Director Paolo Sorrentino was celebrated with The Great Beauty but his efforts here are uneven with numerous distracting unnecessary shots. The production values are top notch with gorgeous locations and photography, particularly during a dream sequence. Screenplay starts out well but becomes disjointed until the finale where an invitation is met nicely. Theme regards ageing and how it screws with one's memory and perception. It plays on one's self worth as Ballinger deals with his relationship with composing, and Boyle struggling with completing his life's work and roadblocks preventing him, and Lena attempting to connect with a parent. Score: 7 / 10

Good follow-up to "La Grande Bellezza"

[j1stoner · 9/10 · 2 June 2015]

A lot should be expected of Paolo Sorrentino after "La Grande Bellezza", and there is a lot here. In particular, I should mention first the scenery and cinematography, and the music, all of which are sublime.

The dialogue is provocative, full of memorable lines and strong emotions, so kudos to the writers. The subject matter was heavy, but there is a fair share of lighter moments, and, in particular, irony.

I would not think that the acting was at all improvised, with the possible exception of some of the riffing the "screenwriters" working with Harvey Keitel's character were doing. Still, strong performances in particular from Keitel, Jane Fonda in a small role, the young actress who plays the masseuse, and a dignified Michael Caine.

Sorrentino continues to give homage to Fellini, which I love, while his central characters (Caine in this one, Toni Servillo in LGB) work through the kind of existential issues which Fellini tackled and which Sorrentino, though he is not an old man, seems to be anticipating. Nostalgia, regret, the sweetness and the bitterness that comes from the awareness of the limitations of our short lives.

The one thing that struck me as useless to the story--maybe I just didn't get it--was the turn Paul Dano's character made for a couple of scenes as...well, I shouldn't spoil it. It struck everyone in the scenes as inappropriate, and I guess that was the point, but really, why? For me, that takes it down to a 9 rating--still, a top-notch effort.

fine art house

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 4 July 2018]

Retired concert conductor Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) is vacationing at a peaceful Swiss spa with long-time friend Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel). He is asked to perform for the Queen but he refuses for a personal reason. Mick is a filmmaker working on his next script with his troop of young contributors. Fred's daughter and assistant Lena (Rachel Weisz) is married to Mick's son but he has left her for a pop star for the sex. The other hotel clients include actor Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano), an obese Diego Maradona, a bitter silent elderly couple, and a young girl.

The surrealism sometimes work but not all the time. I like the Nazi outfit, the soap bubble girl, but the dream of Mick's female characters don't register. The grassy hill swallows them up. They are better off lined up in a row in emptiness. As for the main roles, I'd like for Fred and Mick to spend more time together. I love the time that Fred spends with Lena. Dano is hit and miss. His best is with the little girl. I would have love to be told that it was Maradona right from the start. I'm not a soccer fan and I wouldn't know him even if he's not obese. This is definitely a movie with its own style. Director Paolo Sorrentino has an unique sense of rhythm and isn't for everybody. This is for the stylish art house fans.

Simple Song Number 3

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 17 January 2018]

The film centers around 80 something composer/conductor Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine). He is at an Alps resort spa with his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz) and long time friend and director Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel). Fred is retired and has refused to conduct for the Queen. Mick is with a group of writers as they are attempting to come up with a script for "Life's Last Day" and spend their time attempting to compose final death bed endings for the film. There are a number of minor subplots and players at the resort so you can create whatever theme or metaphor you desire for the film.

The film was very artsy and theme driven. It appeared to focus on dreams and desires which are best left to youth, but I am sure one could get the opposite meaning. The film has a lot of good lines that appear that they tie things together, but then fall short.

"I have to believe everything to make things up." "Human beings know how to be pathetic when they try." "Emotions are overrated" contradicted by "Emotions is all we have." "I know you can't levitate."

Rachel Weisz has a soliloquy where she nails it, but I wasn't sure what she nailed. Paloma Faith plays herself as an oversexed pop star. Madalina Diana Ghenea gets naked, which seems to be an odd sell point for an artsy film, but then again so did Michael Caine, and now I am blind.

One thing I can say for certain is this is not a formula film. It is a series of scenes, many of which are isolated with no real connection to the main plot.

People come to the spa to find themselves, realize their desires, and maybe make their dreams come true...

Beautiful and wonderful

[george.schmidt · 17 January 2016]

YOUTH (2015) *** Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Jane Fonda, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Madalina Diana Ghenea. Caine and Keitel have a field day as aged friends - an acclaimed musical composer/conductor and a waning filmmaker - who spend time together at an Alpine retreat attempting to relax, reflect and perhaps learn from their past for a better , albeit, short future. Filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino creates a nearly ethereal spa for the principals and exquisite cinematography by Luca Bigazzi elevates the film's aesthetic look. Caine and Keitel have dynamic chemistry as the old chums and Weisz adds subtle layers of neuroses as the former's daughter who also stays for an extended visit. Beautiful and wonderful- which could also describe Fonda's brief yet memorable moment too.

Youth - The Greatest Beauty

[danielefanin-17409 · 7/10 · 15 June 2015]

Paolo Sorrentino's latest movie, the director's return to Cannes after the worldwide success gained with the Best Foreign Movie Oscar (yet the Croisette didn't particularly liked the film which later on won at the Academy Award), could and should be appreciated by the Neapolitan director-screenwriter's admirers, for his usual subtlety of camera work and the and memorable lines, as well as by his detractors, for the unexpectedly solid and consistent story development, something that in the past The Great Beauty's director has seldom achieved. And indeed there is much more beauty in Youth than in Sorrentino's former hit, exactly for the savvy mix of images and narration, for the excellent compactness of the cinematic language and writing, regrettably missing in the calligraphic series of beautiful images that made up The Great Beauty. In an exclusive and secluded thermal hotel on the Swiss Alps gather, like elephants at a savanna watering hole at dusk, guests of every age and origin, each looking for something different but all joined by the lack of this "something". With the calm and lightness of a glider, the movie flies over Fred, a retired great musician and conductor searching his human dimension in addition to his musical one, and Mick, a famous director searching a last movie which could amazingly seal a career that, however glittering, started to show the unmistakable signs of a slow decline. The movie takes the viewer, with crafty and touching empathy, to the final results of these searches, harmonic for Fred, dystonic for Mick. Captivating in the title choice, identifying youth with the inner search and growth rather than the body biological age, Youth is structured in dwindling layers, strongly integrated and unified: a protagonist (a self-controlled and convincing Michael Caine as Fred), a co-protagonist (the dependable Hervey Keitel as Mick), two secondary characters (an emotionally involved Rachel Wiesz as Fred's daughter and a cautious and endearing Paul Dano as the Californian star), circled by a chorus of characters painted with few yet definite strokes, reminding of the Commedia dell'Arte: the football legend beyond Sunset Boulevard, the masseuse of few words, the Alpine guide, Miss Universe, the Queen representative, the 100% made in Hollywood movie star (an ironic and charismatic yet ineffective Jane Fonda), the mixed group of your screenwriters, the silent couple….. The risky strategy of mixing faked reality (the Queen, the real pop start, the football star) to real narration proved to pay off: most probably Youth shall not gather the prizes and success of The Great Beauty but surely represents a clear leap forward towards Paolo Sorrentino's full maturity as a director and a screenwriter.

another mystery of modern cinema

[dragokin · 3/10 · 1 November 2015]

Youth is one of those movies that makes you ponder about the missing piece of the puzzle that would make it a good film. The cast is perfectly chosen, their performance impeccable and cinematography wonderful. A lot of scenes are like still life paintings brought to screen, although humans are the part of the scenery.

Eventually, what was supposed to enhance the atmosphere turned to be the biggest weak spot. The "important" scenes dragged on forever and made me cherish the dialogue between the cast.

Youth is not a bad movie in itself. It simply shows what is considered to be a good art-house movie of today. Essentially it has a lot in common with blockbusters, boasts with stellar cast and impressive cinematography. It lacks the action and substitutes it with emotional tension between the protagonists. And the authors where pretentious as if they were paid by the minute of the final product.

It remains a mystery to me how this empty shell of a film became an instant classic on IMDb and would presumably become a cult movie in the time to come.