Thursday, December 10, 2015

A melodic rock band start with a delicious female voice leading to a very energetic guitar unveiling a powerful lyric. You Got The Love by The Retrosettes Sister Band. The song glorify trust, strength and of course the best feeling of all “Love” This is the very beginning of the film “Youth” directed by Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty)

This film follow up another story of a frustrated artist living his septuagenarian life on earth. Fred Ballinger a retired composer who enjoy the success of his work, specially the one that he really hates, “Simple Songs” For every artist their finest work is not the one that was made with love and care, sometimes is the one that appeals the audience. Ballinger is similar to another frustrated artist on film, Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) in the movie Birdman, which is haunted by this demon, success with the less meaningful piece of art.

Sorrentino Italian director winner of the Academy Award for The Great Beauty presents similar characters from his previous work in this movie. Ballinger is a composer and Jep Gambardella is a novel writer. Both of them very successful in their art, are haunted by a woman in their past. But they also have a woman in the present, For Ballinger is his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz) and for Gambardella is his editor Dadina, which constitute their conscience.

The film “Youth” takes place in a very peculiar place, a luxury resort in the Swiss Alps, a home to rejuvenate with hot springs, massage and healthy food. Of course this place is filled with millionaires, aristocrats, artists and celebrities. Ballinger best friend is Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) who also stayed with him at the resort is a successful filmmaker who is completely attached to his past work as well his main inspiration actress Brenda Morel, another character in the story is Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) an actor which to me mirrors Ballinger as another frustrated artist who enjoy more artsy work, but is haunted by his lest meaningful role, a robot in a sci-fi

Michael Cain is perfect for the role as well Harvey Keitel, the chemistry between them is pure magic. Dano and Weisz are excellent on screen. Some additional roles Roly Serrano playing the soccer player Maradona, Luna Zimic paying a Young masseuse and Madalina Diana Ghenea as Miss Universe represents those quirk characters that director Paul Sorrentino always like to introduce in his movies.

The director Sorrentino, continues amaze audiences with his style and subtle film making. He presents vignettes with the actors in beautiful locations and sublime stages, but also engage with the audiences with a powerful soundtrack that is not just sound, is a visual definition by bringing the musician who perform on screen with a elegant vision. He follow the roots of Fellini with magical scenes in a very symmetrical way.

“Youth” is a story about love, remembering missing time, mistakes made and the realization that nothing is overrated in this life, is more about what we have and what we can enjoy. Is a philosophical exploration of human beings who attend to place to find the fountain of youth, with just illusions discovering that is a just a place to understand what life is…

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