Directed and Written by : Paolo Sorrentino
Starring : Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano,
Release Date : May 20, 2015
"Youth" is arguably one of the most beautiful movies I've seen in 2015, in soundtrack, visuals, and with the theme of the story. It's a philosophical drama, that's done in an artistic style, which might alienate some movie goers who aren't open to that. The film opens up with a couple of minutes showing The Retrosettes Sister Band performing their jazzy-disco-rock song "You Got The Love," which sets the tone on how a wide variety of music is integrated into the movie. Director Sorrentino seems to want to share his thoughts about life and living, and the use of music is a good artistic representation of that.
Predominantly set in a luxury hotel resort and spa, it seems like a fantastic place to just lounge about, and the film loves showing picturesque shots of the location. This goes along with tons of other snippet of scenes showing miscellaneous characters in that hotel resort, from it's employees and it's guests, young and old. The movie does a great job in emphasizing that everybody, no matter how insignificant they may seem to the plot, do have their own stories to tell. There are many little moments involving some of these minor characters that I really enjoyed seeing.
The main plot of this story is primarily seen through the eyes of two older men. Michael Caine as Fred Ballinger; a retired composer / conductor, and Harvey Keitel as Mick Boyle; his long time Director friend. The lead cast is rounded off by Fred's daughter / assistant played by Rachel Weisz, and a jaded actor played by Paul Dano. This is a movie that's more about the characters than the story itself, and is mostly filled with conversations that deal with philosophizing about life and living, feeling nostalgic about the past, concerns about the future, and just talking about people. Some of the dialogue may feel a little too on-the-nose at times, but I was completely captivated by what was being said.
Filled with dream-like sequences, funny moments, and emotional reveals, "Youth" kinda caught me off guard at how much it resonated with me. It celebrates life, the good things and the bad things, because that's living.
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