YOUTH is confusing

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2015)

Director/Writer Paolo Sorrentino ("The Great Beauty" Academy Award Best Foreign Film Italy 2014) once again brings his rambling film style to YOUTH, a film about a retired orchestra conductor (Michael Cain), his daughter (Rachel Weisz - "The Lovely Bones"), his director friend (Harvey Keitel) and a fellow "retreat" actor (Paul Dano - "Little Miss Sunshine"). That much information you can count on. For the rest of the film, one can only guess what Sorrentino was trying to say and why. Cinematography (Luca Bigazzi) is stunning, the various retreat performances are intriguing (if not bazaar), Jane Fonda gives and interesting cameo performance (not necessarily worth Award consideration), while Dano, who has little to do here, transforms into his movie character (no spoiler here) which is worthy of Award consideration. Music by David Lang holds this film together, as does the terrific casting which brings many a compelling character. You'll walk out wondering why, and maybe that's a good thing?