An statement about the opposition between youth and elderliness...

Rating: 8/10 (13 December 2015)

Paolo Sorentino's Youth isn't one of those movies that aim to be something else... It is a statement about life in the form of incredibly realistic paintings. Above all things, the movie isn't about the characters or their story, about the hotel or the beautiful setting in Switzerland, it isn't about Mick's movie or Fred's concert. The movie is simply a exposition of the opposition between elderliness and "YOUTH".
The photography is pretty much impeccable and as I said every frame looks like a painting, I mean, ANY still of the movie would look amazing in your living room wall. The hand of the director appears in many of those shots that you can only say, "Oh my"... And it is pretty much only production design and camera... The only two times you see special effects, they kinda suck...
About the acting... I don't think there's much to say... Lately, in the non- blockbuster flicks, I watch Michael Caine and just see him doing his thing... Pretty much as him playing himself... And he's good, even very good, but there's not that spark that makes it a "brilliant performance". I feel the same way about Harvey Keitel. Rachel Weisz was good, but I don't think her character was so well constructed, Paul Dano's on the other hand had the most interesting character of the whole movie and was impressive as Jimmy Tree. Jane Fonda received a nomination to the Golden Globe, but she was on screen for two scenes only, so... I don't know...
The movie was pretty much about the visual and left the story to be read between the lines (or between the frames)...The story is pretty good but the movie is not about it... Is just a way of expressing an idea...
At the end of the day... Paolo Sorentino will be indicated to every award for directing, this season... The movie is a work of art, but not to much as cinema indeed...