Youth (2015)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Gaspingly pretentious portrait of characters at a resort hotel and spa in the Swiss Alps. Michael Caine is a British widower and retired symphony conductor--an annual guest at the spa for some 20 years--who refuses a request from an emissary of the Queen of England to conduct again for Prince Philip's birthday celebration. Caine's grown daughter is temporarily staying with him; she's distraught over her recent breakup with the son of another guest, screenwriter Harvey Keitel, an exercise-friend of Caine's who commiserates with him over their combined years and non-working body parts. Other guests include a rock-climbing instructor, a film actor, assorted child prodigies, a beauty contest winner, et al. Writer-director Paolo Sorrentino has a grandiose visual concept, which he makes clear within the film's first 10 minutes; however, his artistically-composed shots of naked, sagging bodies (usually slumped over in states of depression, inert in the steam rooms or floating aimlessly in the swimming pools) are not especially pointed or amusing. The shots call attention themselves, probably to distract the viewer from the lack of substance in the writing (or interest in the central characters). Caine, pinkish-white like a rabbit, seems to look out at the world with bleary eyes--but is this the character or simply the actor in bad physical shape? Keitel doesn't appear very spry either, but the worst is saved for Jane Fonda (in a bad blonde wig) as a jaded, foulmouthed actress just in from Los Angeles (she asks Keitel expository questions to set the scene: "How long have we known each other, Mick?"). "Youth" flatlines at the one-hour mark--with another 63 minutes on the clock. * from ****

I was so excited to see Youth. Michael Caine had been promoting it all year, claiming it was the movie he was most proud of in his career, and everyone hoped he'd finally nab the Best Actor Oscar. It didn't make it to any of my local movie theaters, but I rented it the first available weekend. Had I sat through it, it would probably be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Thankfully, remotes have a little button called "fast-forward" so I was only forced to watch about thirty collective minutes.Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel are on vacation in a spa in the Alps. Michael is a retired composer, and Harvey is a film director. They're old friends, and they talk about their work, their families, and getting older. Michael's daughter, Rachel Weisz, shows up because her husband left her, and an aging actress, Jane Fonda, shows up to talk about a role. That's all I was able to get out of the plot. The disjointed scene transitions, strange music choices, minimalistic script, random nude women, and generally confusing storyline ruined the rest of the film. Unless you love "art films" and have the absolute opposite taste in movies as I do, I would tell you to stay as far away from Youth as possible.Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic nudity and confusing content, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.

As a younger man, I probably wouldn't have cared much for this movie, because as a younger man, I wasn't preoccupied with getting older, and the consequences of reaching the September of my life.However, as a musician, photographer, and a baby boomer, I absolutely loved it. I would have given it 10 stars except for a poorly written character trait implied in Michael Cain's "Fred Ballinger" to appeal to the gay community for God knows what reason. It doesn't fit into the character's personality or lifestyle at all, and so it made no sense and was purely gratuitous.Aside from that one issue, I found this movie to be a "masterpiece", combining sights, sounds and thoughts in a totally original fashion, and takes place in a setting I can't recall ever seeing in any other motion picture.The acting is flawless from all involved, as is the casting, sets, editing, and most of all: 'the music'. I have since purchased the blu-ray of this film, and have watched it more times than I'd care to admit, and I've never been able to control my emotions at the very end with the voice of an angel soprano singing her heart out to a song that not only should have been nominated for an Oscar (it was), but should have won it hands down. 'Simple Song #3' If you're an action addict, this film isn't for you. However, if like like beautiful scenery, music, and talent from all involved, you may like this film as much as I did: One of my top ten favorites.

Well, great shots, great nudity, great actors, great acting, classic themes it just drags interminably. It is a clear picture of real life but it is not entertaining, not fun, not interesting, does not radiate. It haunts. If I were more familiar with Fellini, I would say Fellini. Everything is a queer presentation, naked people sitting in odd places, doing obscure things at weird times in weird ways. You could take almost any scene and mount it on the wall and contemplate it ad infinitude ( damned auto spell Q ROBOTS make it look like I don't know my Ancient Greek ), the wicked fat guy kicking the ball, miss universe in the water, the other guests in the various venues, the staff, the stories, the Queen. OMG it has a ton of good parts but... I have been there for all of these and it was more interesting, more rewarding, quicker. It is exactly that joke, a camel is a horse made by a committee. We here at norm central want the horse, not the camel.