Youth

Showings

Rafael 1 Sun, Oct 18, 2015 2:00 PM
Film Info
Section:World Cinema
Focus: Cinema Bellissimo
Country:Italy
France
Switzerland
UK
Year:2015
Running Time:123 min
Language:English
Spanish
German
Director:Paolo Sorrentino
Producer:Nicola Giuliano
Francesca Cima
Carlotta Calori
Screenwriter:Paolo Sorrentino
Cinematographer:Luca Bigazzi
Editor:Cristiano Travaglioli
Cast:Michael Caine
Harvey Keitel
Rachel Weisz
Paul Dano
Jane Fonda
Print Source:Fox Searchlight
Note Writer:Zoë Elton

Description

The stunning opening images of Oscar®-winning (The Great Beauty) director Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth set the tone for indelible reflections on wisdom, art, and mortality, expressed through a longtime friendship between Fred (Michael Caine), a retired composer, and film director Mick (Harvey Keitel). Fred is offered a knighthood on condition he conduct his signature work, Simple Songs, for the Queen. He refuses, for personal reasons. Mick works on what may be his last “big” screenplay, pinning his hopes for financing on the participation of Hollywood legend Brenda Morel (a startling, take-no-prisoners performance by Jane Fonda). Meanwhile, Lena (Rachel Weisz), Fred’s daughter, has discovered her husband is leaving her for pop singer Paloma Faith (played, in a Sorrentino-esque touch of whimsy, by Faith herself). Against the backdrop of an opulent Swiss spa peopled by a cast of colorful inhabitants, Youth is sensual and rich, whimsical and tender, engrossing to its final coda.

Co-presented by Italian Cultural Institute

Additional Information

Director and screenwriter Paolo Sorrentino was born in Naples in 1970. In 2001, he made his first feature film, L’Uomo in Piu (One Man Up), with Toni Servillo and Andrea Renzi. The film was selected for the Venice Film Festival, nominated for three David di Donatellos, and won a Silver Ribbon for Best New Director. In 2004, Sorrentino completed his second film, Le Consequenze dell’Amore (The Consequences of Love), and, in 2006, his third film, L’Amoico di Famiglia (The Family Friend) was shown at Cannes. In 2008, Il Divo competed at Cannes and won the Jury Prize as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Make-up. In 2010, Sorrentino published his first novel Hanno Tutti Ragione, which made the short list for the Strega Prize. In 2011, he released his first English-language film, This Must Be the Place, starring Sean Penn and Frances McDormand. In 2012, his second book, Tony Pagoda E I Suoi Amici, was published. In 2013, he competed at Cannes for the fifth time with La Grande Bellezza (the Great Beauty), which won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.