Youth is fleeting, but "Youth" will stay with you for a long time.

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2015)

"Youth is wasted on the young." That quote from award-winning Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw means different things to different people, fittingly, depending on a person's age. Young people may see it as just another example of being dismissed by the older generation. Older people may take the quote to mean that their mature understanding of how best to enjoy life would have done them more good in a youthful body with their entire lives ahead of them. If you think about it, the quote praises both youth and maturity. Such is also the case within the English language Italian comedy-drama "Youth" (R, 2:04).
Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel star as Fred Ballinger and Mick Boyle, two men who have been friends since they were young adults and now, in their late 70s, are vacationing at a luxurious Swiss resort hotel. For Mick, this is a working vacation. He's a legendary screenwriter and director who is spending his time at the resort working with a few young screenwriters on what he hopes will be his last great film. He's writing the film for his frequent star, Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda), and wants it to be his "testament" to life. Fred is a renowned classical music composer and conductor who has left his music career behind him and repeatedly refuses the requests and pleas from Queen Elizabeth II's emissary for a command performance for Prince Philip's birthday. Fred does little more than exist, try to remember the past, and wait for his days to end. Fred's assistant/daughter, Lena (Rachel Weisz), does her best to keep her father healthy and motivated, but she's harboring some old grudges – and has other problems to deal with too.
Throughout this film, we see the concept of youth from both sides – those who still have it and those who had it long ago and see the world differently in their maturity. Fred and Mick have conversations about getting older (increased wisdom and perspective, reduced memory and satisfactory urination, etc.), but also try to pass on some of that wisdom to their children and struggle to come to terms with some of the mistakes they made in their own youth. They also observe the other guests, both famous and anonymous, even as some of those same guests observe them right back. There's the older couple who eat dinner together every night but never speak, a Buddhist monk, the obese but still popular former soccer star (Roly Serrano), a young but wise and ambitious masseuse (Luna Zimic Mijovic), the small boy (Leo Artin) who Fred hears playing one of his old compositions on the violin, the vacationing Miss Universe (Madalina Diana Ghenea) and the hot young actor (Paul Dano) researching a new role.
"Youth" is the kind of movie that some may dismiss as "artsy", but I call engaging and insightful. The wide variety of interesting minor characters, combined with the big developments in the lives of the major characters make for a unusual storytelling (somewhat reminiscent of 2014's award-winning "Birdman"), but it's a plot that holds the audience's attention and pays off with some very surprising (and even shocking) moments. Along the way, we're treated to a couple realistic and beautifully shot dream sequences and plenty of great scenery, courtesy of the Swiss Alps. Not to mention a look at other kinds of beauty, owing to the fact that this movie takes place in a resort – slash – spa, with traditional (ahem) European sensibilities. And, of course, with three Oscar winners, an Oscar nominee and a Golden Globe nominee in the cast, the performances are as impeccable as you would expect. After all that, what we're left with is an eloquent meditation on youth, an earnest celebration of maturity and a subtle challenge to never let go of your passions. Youth can't be held forever, but the joys of the film "Youth" can last quite a while. "A-"