Youth

Sorrentino is a great director, no doubt about it. But he isn't a great thinker, and when his films are explicitly dealing with concepts, emotions and musing about life, it can get a little iffy. Youth is no exception. While the film has a couple of clear highlights, it is dragged down by its musings about aging.

The setting is quite nice, a fancy spa/clinic in Switzerland where the wealthy meet to relax and get better. Caine and Keitel are amusing and the first hour Sorrentino takes his time to have a little fun with the characters and setting. Nothing too highbrow or complex, but fun nonetheless. The second hour, which tries to flesh out the drama and bring some extra depth to the film, falls flat though.

Visually there is a lot to like, though it doesn't feel quite as fresh as his earlier films. The soundtrack is worse off, balancing between generic and pompous, without ever adding anything substantial to the film. Maybe it's the type of film that becomes revelatory once you reach the age of its characters, but that is still quite a way off for me. Not bad, but I expect better from Sorrentino.