The Downside of Being Rich and Famous

Rating: 7/10 (2 September 2018)

At a luxurious spa in the Swiss mountains, two long-time septuagenarian friends reflect on their lives, aging, and what comes next. One is a retired British composer/conductor (Michael Caine); the other is an American film director (Harvey Keitel) working on a new film project with a group of young actors. "Youth" is directed by Paolo Sorrentino and is an Italian/Swiss/French/British co-production.
The themes of sadness and disappointment are reflected not only in those who are in the later stages of life; even successful younger people show regret such as a young film star played by Paul Dano. While the average viewer might feel a sense of envy and curiosity of how the rich and famous live, the various characters who show up remind us that the wealthy can be as dysfunctional and unhappy as the rest of us despite their great resources.
Sorrentino's directing is as compassionate, sweet, and melancholy as it was in "The Great Beauty". There are many visual moments that are striking and bizarre (sometimes too bizarre) which add much feeling to the film. His use of the Swiss scenery is also breathtaking. (In this way, the film is similar to "Clouds of Sils Maria", also about a successful performer needing nourishment while staying near Swiss mountains.)
The unusual camera and sound work during a climactic scene at the end created great impact with their uniqueness. The music by David Lang is also ethereal. (Be sure to stay for the closing credits for this reason.)
Caine and Keitel do great work as the main characters and the anchors of the film. But it is scenes including others which had the strongest impact.
One such scene involves Rachel Weisz as Caine's daughter and his personal manager. In this particular scene, she expresses grave disappointment in her father's past behaviour.
The other major scene involves Jane Fonda as a septuagenarian ex-superstar with whom the Keitel character has worked in the past. In this scene, Fonda chews the scenery as a vile ex-diva. The scene was so good, it left me disappointed that her role had not been bigger. It was too brief. It made me yearn for the era when she was frequently given more substantial movie roles.
"Youth" is a sweet film that attempts to explore the deeper themes of life. It doesn't fully succeed with this ambition but it goes just far enough to be a worthwhile movie experience.