← Back to Reviews
in
Youth (Sorrentino, 2015)
Youth is a film that I have anticipated prior to the trailer even being released. The original premise of two aging friends contemplating their careers in the alps would make it sound like a straight forward narrative, a European The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. However this being directed by Sorrentino Youth is quite far from a straight forward narrative. The most common analogy brought out for Youth is a 2015 version of Fellini, Sorrentino certainly drives parallels between 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita throughout. I'd argue that Youth is an even more grandiose and avant-garde film watching experience than either of those films though. The first twenty minutes felt Lynchian. The tone and scenery draw parallels to Altman's Three Women. Despite having elegant and charming scenes the film is extremely sexual and surreal. Many scenes are as indescribable as those from Mullholland Drive while others feel like a luxurious euro melo-drama.
The film is a sensory treat. Amazing cinematography, beautiful scenery, and a 5 star score. Sorrentino does create a true treat for the eyes and ears, what wasn't stimulated in my experience was the mind or heart. While the take on aging in the film is extremely unique, the message is fairly simple. Even when the film focuses on the individual motives of the characters, it's nearly impossible to make an emotional connection with how splashy the film attempts to be for the better part of itself. With how much effort is put into the deepness of the dialogue nothing said stood out to me. The film is just far to egotistical and pretentious to deliver the humanist message it's going for. That's not to say I disliked the film, I'll likely revisit it for the laughs and the visual aspects have inspired me to watch more from Sorrentino. The acting is great- especially by Caine- and the film looks beautiful, but Youth fails with its own techniques from delivering the desired message.
+
Youth (Sorrentino, 2015)
Youth is a film that I have anticipated prior to the trailer even being released. The original premise of two aging friends contemplating their careers in the alps would make it sound like a straight forward narrative, a European The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. However this being directed by Sorrentino Youth is quite far from a straight forward narrative. The most common analogy brought out for Youth is a 2015 version of Fellini, Sorrentino certainly drives parallels between 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita throughout. I'd argue that Youth is an even more grandiose and avant-garde film watching experience than either of those films though. The first twenty minutes felt Lynchian. The tone and scenery draw parallels to Altman's Three Women. Despite having elegant and charming scenes the film is extremely sexual and surreal. Many scenes are as indescribable as those from Mullholland Drive while others feel like a luxurious euro melo-drama.
The film is a sensory treat. Amazing cinematography, beautiful scenery, and a 5 star score. Sorrentino does create a true treat for the eyes and ears, what wasn't stimulated in my experience was the mind or heart. While the take on aging in the film is extremely unique, the message is fairly simple. Even when the film focuses on the individual motives of the characters, it's nearly impossible to make an emotional connection with how splashy the film attempts to be for the better part of itself. With how much effort is put into the deepness of the dialogue nothing said stood out to me. The film is just far to egotistical and pretentious to deliver the humanist message it's going for. That's not to say I disliked the film, I'll likely revisit it for the laughs and the visual aspects have inspired me to watch more from Sorrentino. The acting is great- especially by Caine- and the film looks beautiful, but Youth fails with its own techniques from delivering the desired message.
+