#9 - YOUTH by Paolo Sorrentino (Italy/France/Switzerland/UK)
YOUTH is an existential remuneration. It follows the lives of the inhabitants of a mountain resort in which wealthy and accomplished people stop for restful holidays, or to reflect upon their upcoming works. It particularly focuses on the character of a retired celebrated contemporary classical music composer, who is able to carry his brimming emotional balance and control it in a stoic and composure and collected silent behaviour.
Much like his previous, international arthouse hit THE GREAT BEAUTY, here PAOLO SORRENTINO seems to evoke classic Italian cinema. Despite the film's sensibility on its themes of old age, regret and a wider reflection on the meaning of life, the film is balanced in its emotional representation of its story, and even makes use of an entertaining sense of humour full of irony. It is also coated with some vivid and lushious visual experimentation, fruit of the collaboration between the director and cinematographer LUCA BIGAZZI, which breaks free from the narrative to give a somewhat utopian image of the film and a visual art style that carefully blends the fine line between storytelling and visual art, stretching it to the point of metaphorical representation.
Aside from the great maturity of the film, which is at once solemn and observant of the characters, YOUTH remains sensitive to the nature of the filmmaker himself - SORRENTINO may even be taking himself to the story directly through the character of PAUL DANO, an actor preparing for what is to be a career defining role role and observing the inhabitants to of the resort for inspiration. The film is enriched by some excellent performances by the star studded cast.
MICHAEL CAINE's inscrutable performance is exactly what makes him so enigmatic. All the time it is as if he were wearing a mask, a guard he only occasionally lets down, and mostly through his interactions with his filmmaker friend - it is interesting to see their unique and special lengthy conversations begin with thr subject of their pissing habits in their old age, an original testimony to the honesty of true longlasting friendship.
On the other hand, HARVEY KEITEL wears another type of mask, he too seems to be keen on hiding the emotional baggage he has, but is somewhat less successful and more histrionic, much more accessible than the other.