Youth (2015)

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Produced by Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Carlotta Calori
Written by Paolo Sorrentino
Starring: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda
Music by David Lang
Cinematography: Luca Bigazzi
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures, StudioCanal
Release date: 4 December 2015 (United States)
Country: Italy
Budget: $13 million
Box office: $19.3 million

"Youth" is a comedy–drama film written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. The story is about a retired orchestra conductor who 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.

Cast

• Michael Caine as Fred Ballinger
• Harvey Keitel as Mick Boyle
• Rachel Weisz as Lena Ballinger
• Paul Dano as Jimmy Tree
• Jane Fonda as Brenda Morel
• Roly Serrano as Diego Armando Maradona
• Alex Macqueen as Queen's emissary
• Luna Zimic Mijovic as Young masseuse
• Robert Seethaler as Luca Moroder
• Tom Lipinski as Screenwriter in Love
• Chloe Pirrie as Girl Screenwriter
• Alex Beckett as Intellectual Screenwriter
• Nate Dern as Funny Screenwriter
• Mark Gessner as Shy Screenwriter
• Ed Stoppard as Julian Boyle
• Paloma Faith as Herself
• Mark Kozelek as Himself
• Madalina Diana Ghenea as Miss Universe

As now I'm really tired from almost all mass media films, I exactly desire pictures with good acting, no cliche and new stories and turns. And "Youth" has all of these: good performances of Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel which help to see the world from old people's eyes; the plot is quite untypical and makes watch from beginning to end. Generally the picture reminds a rest home where a viewer may feel refreshment of mind and think about topics touched in the film.

Advantages

• Michael Caine as Fred Ballinger
• Harvey Keitel as Mick Boyle
• Jokes
• Music
• Turns

Disadvantages

• Paloma Faith in a stupid role

"Strangenesses"

• Lena's dream

Clue Moments

• Queen Elizabeth II
• The betrayal
• Miss Universe

"Youth" tells the viewer about important things from different sides: struggle between age and youth, the past and the future, life and death, commitment and betrayal. Everyone has a right to choose what  to concentrate on. You want to see the conflict between ages? You will. Are you more interested in life and thought about afterlife? You're welcome. And the best feature of the whole picture is that everybody might find their own answers on these questions.

Soundtracks

1. David Guetta feat. Sia - She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)
2. Gianluca Cascioli - Preludes (Book 1) – Des Pas Sur La Neige (No. 6): Triste Et Lent
3. Maria Letizia Gorga, Stefano De Meo, Marco Colonna & Laura Pierazzuoli - A Ma Manière
4. Mark Kozelek - Onward
5. Sun Kil Moon - Third and Seneca
6. Susan Patterson, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Maurizio Benini - Mercadante: Virginia (Atto I) Cavatina “Figlia Tu Scuoti”
7. the Retrosettes Sister Band - Reality
8. the Retrosettes Sister Band - You Got the Love
9. BBC Concert Orchestra & Terry Davies - Stravinsky: Berceuse Da L’oiseau De Feu – the Firebird”
10. BBC Concert Orchestra, Sumi Jo & Terry Davies - Simple Song #3
11. Bill Callahan - The Breeze | My Baby Cries
12. David Byrne - Dirty Hair
13. David Lang - Wood Symphony (Bonus Track)
14. Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle - Ceiling Gazing
15. Paloma Faith - Can’t Rely on You
16. Ratatat - Neckbrace
17. the Berlin Radio Chorus - Mick’s Dream (Bonus Track)
18. Trio Medieval, Garth Knox, Agnes Vesterman & Sylvain Lemetre - Just (After Song of Songs)

Quotations

* * *

Fred Ballinger: Intellectuals have no taste.

* * *

Mick Boyle: [as he shows his protegee the distant Alps through a telescope] You see that mountain over there? Everything seems really close. That's the future. And now...
[as he flips the telescope around so it's in fish eye lens]
Mick Boyle: ... everything seems really far away. That's the past.

* * *

Jimmy Tree: I have to choose, I have to choose what is really worth telling: horror or desire? And I choose desire. You, each one of you, you open my eyes, you made me see that I should not wasting my time on the senseless fear...

* * *

Fred Ballinger: You were right. Music is all I understand.

* * *

Mick Boyle: We are all extras. All we have is emotions.

* * *

Mick Boyle: You say that emotions are overrated. But that's bullsh*t. Emotions are all we've got.

* * *

Lena Ballinger: You know, sometimes when I'm asleep at night, he watches me... and last night he stroked my cheek for the first time in my life. Only I wasn't asleep... I was pretending to be asleep.
Mick Boyle: Parents know when their children are pretending to be asleep.

* * *

Fred Ballinger: You won't fool me. I know you can't levitate.

* * *

Brenda Morel: C'mon, life goes on even without that cinema bullsh*t.

* * *

You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 9/10

Entertainment: 8/10

Acting: 9/10

Originality: 8/10

Music and Sound: 8/10

8/10