Review of Youth (2015) by John O — 23 Sep 2016

Michael Caine never fails to surprise me. He's one of the most accomplished actors of all time and yet, a performance like his in Youth, is still quite astonishing.

Caine, like a few other elder actors who I won't name, still do quite a few movies these days. But some can clearly be seen as "paycheck" movies. Now, I've never seen a bad performance from Caine, actually I'm not sure if he's ever had a below average performance, but sometimes he takes roles that just don't seem to make much sense. I enjoy the Now You See Me movies for what they are, but there's no real reason for Caine to be in them.

With that said, Youth is as good as I've seen Caine in years. It's a starring role with layers of emotion and character depth, which is something Caine just hasn't been given of late. The film itself has its beautiful moments, but Caine was the reason I was invested. He plays a retired composer, Fred, who is being sought out by the Queen for a performance of one of his most beloved songs, only personal reasons get in his way. But the film isn't really about that performance at all. In fact, it's really a story about regret, wistfulness, and deprivation.

Fred spends his time reflecting on his life at a secluded resort in the Swiss Alps with his longtime friend and film director, Mick, played by Harvey Keitel. These conversations give the film a poignantly nostalgic feel, but it's also not an overwhelmingly depressing take on life either. Neither actor has been this invested in a role in years, and thus it's a bittersweet film, especially considering the age and career path of both the actors in real life.

The one thing that didn't work too well for me was the use of dream-like sequences to hammer home the main themes and ideas. I got the message I needed through the actors and script, so I wasn't a huge fan of Paolo Sorrentino continuously using this storytelling method. Alas, the rest of his directing job should be commended.

Even though most of the film consists of the main characters going through their daily motions and routines, I found the message of doing something with your life and not wasting time to be incredibly effective. Some memories wash away but the ones that stick are truly the important ones. Youth was really a nice little film that was largely lost in the shuffle with the rest of the industry. Check this one out.

+Caine and Keitel fully committed.

+Poignant.

+Strong supporting cast.

-Dreamy scenes.

8.3/10.