Youth is the latest offering from Paolo Sorrentino (who took home the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2014 for The Great Beauty) and tells the story of Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine), a retired orchestral director at a Swiss spa. Fred is there with his daughter, Lena (excellently played by Rachel Weiz) and screenwriter Mick (Harvey Keitel).
Mick and Fred are old friends and spend most of their time at the spa fondly remembering their pasts together; Fred is no longer working whilst Mick strives to finish his latest script, surrounded by a team of young writers. During their stay at the spa Fred gets asked to conduct one last time for someone very important- the Queen. His torment of why he can’t is heart-wrenching.
The themes of Youth are not just of the past, and of what could have been, but of what might happen and how we cope with love and loss and most of all- the strange world we live in. It is a whirlwind of surrealism – the plethora of characters introduced to us are weird and wonderful, with Paul Dano’s Jimmy Tree a shining beacon of quiet talent, a quiet actor who is attempting to truly understand his latest role, which is finally revealed to the audience towards the end of the film.
Youth’s greatest strength is by far the stunning cinematography, as the setting of Switzerland is breathtaking. But its not just that, it’s the way Sorrentino captures the other inhabitants of the spa- the boy learning Fred’s songs, the Miss World winner, the couple who don’t talk.
Youth is a big, warm whimsical movie but leaves the viewer feeling slightly hollow inside, with a hint of grief and despair.
Youth is a beautiful film to watch all in all, a simple study in human interaction and the relationships we develop, how we strive for goals and who we love.
Release date: In Cinemas Boxing Day, December 26
Rating: MA 15+
Run Time: 124 minutes
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