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Dec 07, 2015 By Jason Wilson Issue #55 - November/December 2015 - EL VY

In Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty, the director studied an aging writer’s growing apathy and loss of connection to the world around him. With Youth, he goes back to the well in a way, but it doesn’t feel like a retread or an effort to appease those who avoid subtitles.

Following a fine foursome of actors in Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, and Paul Dano, Sorrentino explores people in various stages of their lives and careers. It is often episodic, giving way more to snippets of fascination, similar to The Great Beauty, instead of picking a single narrative and following it headlong to its conclusion. This works because each story, even when it hits awkward weak spots, is engaging. It’s helped by the unsurprisingly gorgeous cinematography from Luca Bigazzi.

The film is sweet but never saccharine; emotional but never maudlin. The characters never feel hollow, as they are not permitted to avoid their own negative characteristics. Youth is a multifaceted story of human lives that never takes the cheap exit.

www.youththemovie.com

Author rating: 8.5/10