Old men conducting/directing their lives without a lot of memories

Rating: 9/10 (18 September 2015)

Paolo Sorrentino (from Naples, Italy) has turned an astonishing movie.
The pace is sometimes slow, cautious, then brutally rapid. Two old men are of course acting a fine piece of craftsmanship, a composer, a film director, life-long friends find themselves disillusioned about life and old age and in turn react in different ways to this plight. Another extra dimension is the voyeuristic deployment of life in a five star hotel in Switzerland, its kings, the guests and their servants, the hotel staff.
The well-to-do and celebs of this world find a retreat in exclusive fine hotels to find their bearings, to relax in the wellness facilities, a possibility to unwind in their hectic lives. Sorrentino has conjured up an impressive array of stars and talents, but this sometimes seems like a casting event. Overdoing the good thing: Maradona" makes a surprise appearance as well as a Hitler impersonator. Sorrentino gives Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel a wonderful stage for their (dirty) old men phantasies and memories of the past. The composer Fred Ballinger was notoriously unfaithful to his wife Melanie, who put up with it, only to end up as a demented death mask of the only person he really loved in a psychiatric ward in Venice. His daughter confronted him with his past, his emotionally starving her, his unfair unfaithfulness. Fred, being retired, is apathetic, once directs a herd of cows mooing and the sound of their cowbells. He refuses to have his memories published, refuses stubbornly to conduct his Simple Songs" for the British Queen, who sent an emissary, speaking the Queen's English, who seemed to be unsuccessful in convincing Fred to perform just this once more. At the end of the movie we can see him complying blandly, but with great success. His scenes with his daughter, who was just abandoned by her young lover, who preferred Paloma Faith to her.
are very moving. The dialogue has some very open discussion of love, sex and marriage, there are scenes of outspoken passion of great intensity. Some great takes are performed by young talents, the young masseuse, Paul Dan (Jimmy Tree) who played a young blasé actor whose ennui of being identified with just one film role is quite understandable and well done. Then there is this young girl who absolutely astonishes the former with her quip.
Nick Boyle, the famous film director describes his dozen or so films all as crap" and is seen working on his last film project The Last Day in Life" which is portentous because he ended his life after Brenda Morel (Jane Fonda ) told him just that in very outspoken terms.
He had prided himself to be a women's director", in Wiesen" (place name meaning "meadows") he sees dozens of his women characters in a dream-like scene, all talking to him, complaining, whispering. His entourage is seen brainstorming for film ideas, all to no avail, the ending of the film is still missing, the main woman character suddenly shows up, calling Nick destructive, repulsive, a failure. Both pretend to have furthered the other's career.
Some delightful scenes show philosophic questions being raised, dis- cussing old age, youth, love and marriage, fame, wealth. The two old friends have their fun and games, telling each other only the good things" in life, playing tricks (mostly on Nick) and both complain of amorous and urinary problems .