Lazy compared to The Great Beauty, but there are some merits.

Rating: 7/10 (20 November 2015)

Paolo Sorrentino impressed in 2013 with his Fellini soaked The Great Beauty, I didn't think it would win the Oscar, but it did deservedly. That opened doors for Sorrentino to, apparently, make something in the a similar vein but with A-list English language actors. That may not have been the best of choices given potential career paths. While The Great Beauty is a gorgeous sprawling character study with vibrant ambition, Youth stops short of that standard. We have a similar protagonist with Michael Caine, and there's no-one better to sprout off a life's worth of wisdom like Michael Caine, but the spark is lost. The ego is still here but it's coming with a self-satisfied smirk with smug ironies.
For starters, it absolutely should have done away with the cameos and musicians and actors playing versions of themselves. It's a big mish-mash of short stories that dip in and out, and while their individual arcs are solid and easy, it's a short step where film can otherwise leap. It's not always misguided, but it's often lazy. That's not to rob the aspects the film does right. The musings on memory are interesting, especially coming from Caine and Harvey Keitel, though the metaphors are quite heavy-handed. It's relatable in its its glistening cynicism and that's potent where it could have been swinging for universalities. They are however, hollow revelations due to its lack of character work, but no less valid.
Caine is a reliable lead, though he doesn't have much to do until the final act. However, Keitel is a welcome highlight doing what Keitel does best when he doesn't have a gun in his hand. Rachel Weisz however, is very mishandled and it was very difficult to connect to her character when she's dialled at a volume the film doesn't tune into. Jane Fonda has a solid part as a diva, but it's far too on-the-nose, while Paul Dano blends into the background, besides when he puts on a Hitler costume. Visually it is underwhelming compared to The Great Beauty though some of the smooth tracking shots remain. The soundtrack is ultimately the factor that needed the most work. Youth has its hits and misses but it's generally easy-going enough to get by, if not nearly as profound as it thinks it is.
7/10