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The Films of Paolo Sorrentino

One Man Up

The Consequences of Love

The Family Friend

Il Divo

This Must Be the Place

The Great Beauty

Youth (December 1/15)

The second English-language film from Paolo Sorrentino, Youth details the happenings at a luxurious hotel located at the foot of the Alps - with the storyline mostly following a retired conductor (Michael Caine's Fred) as he goes about his business over the course of a few days. It's a simple premise that's executed to often mesmerizing effect by writer/director Sorrentino, as the filmmaker has infused Youth with a lush and often jaw-droppingly cinematic visual sensibility that proves impossible to resist - with the impressively engrossing opening stretch effectively (and instantly) luring the viewer into the deliberately-paced proceedings. The film, from there, segues into an episodic midsection that's admittedly a little hit and miss, as Sorrentino emphasizes the exploits of several periphery characters also staying at the hotel (including Rachel Weisz's Lena and Paul Dano's Jimmy). Such interludes fare better than expected, to be sure, and yet it remains clear that Youth is at its best when focused on Caine's endlessly captivating figure (and also his continuing conversations with Harvey Keitel's Mick). It doesn't hurt, of course, that Sorrentino has peppered the narrative with several compelling and downright hypnotic sequences, with the most stirring examples of this Lena's brutal verbal takedown of Fred and a searing conversation between Mick and an aging bombshell (Jane Fonda's Brenda). And while it's ultimately clear that the movie could've used some judicious editing, Youth is, for the most part, a striking piece of work that lingers in one's mind long after the end credits have rolled.

out of

© David Nusair