Youth is an enriching feast for the eyes and the soul, led by the magnificent performances of Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, and directed by Paolo Sorrentino with a surreal visual flair and tenderness to his characters.
While Youth is the title of Italian director Paolo Sorentimo’s second English language film, it is the issue of legacy that stands paramount for its lead characters: retired orchestra conductor Fred Balarat (Michael Caine) and legendary filmmaker Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel).
Vacationing at a luxurious resort in the Swiss Alps along with Fred’s daughter and assistant Lena (Rachel Weisz), both men approach their careers and lives with hazy recollections of the past but with a firm understanding on the present. Fred is adamant that he will not conduct again, repeatedly refusing an official request to play for the Queen. Mick on the other hand is working on his next film, which he declares will be his “testament”.
Both characters are played incredibly well by Caine and Keitel, these icons of cinema instilling their roles with wisdom, charisma, sadness and regret. These are characters who have loved and lost, creating works of art while destroying the ties with those closest to them.
One pivotal scene where Lena lashes out at her father for his past infidelities and the devotion given to his music over that of his family is raw, emotive, and powerfully delivered by Weisz, and points to the inner turmoil which the restrained Fred grapples with. He knows he was a bad husband and father. But he also knows that while old, there is still time to atone for past transgressions. Caine plays the introverted balancing act beautifully, that “English reserve” which gives way to genuinely powerful moments of transparent emotion.
Keitel’s Mick is more easy going, although he too wrestles with inner demons that threaten to engulf him whole, even though he is more comfortable with emotion than Fred is. Much like Caine, the filmography of Keitel proclaims a prolific actor, yet often his roles are not on par with his talent. Youth changes that trend, offering Keitel with his meatiest role in a long time, resulting in one of the best performances in his storied career.
The rapport between Caine and Keitel is infectious, with a real sense of lifelong connection between the two. Great performances are also provided by Paul Dano as an actor struggling to escape the shadow of a blockbuster movie, and Jane Fonda who is equally mesmerising and devastating in an impactful minor role.
Sorrentino plays it all out in an almost surreal environment, where levitating Buddhist monks, naked beauty pageant queens and obese former soccer superstars all frequent a lavish resort that is impeccably lensed by Luca Bigazzi. Moments of weirdness are spread throughout, yet they don’t distract from the overall emotional and visual impact of Youth, a film that’s funny in some parts, touching in others, and captivating as a whole.
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