A morose, retired composer (Michael Caine) is vacationing at
a Swedish spa with his daughter/personal assistant (Rachel Weisz) who has just
been jilted by the son of the musician's lifelong friend (Harvey Keitel), a
director mapping out his latest venture and also staying at the resort. Like
This Must Be the Place and his grossly overpraised The Great Beauty, Paolo
Sorrentino's Youth is soaked in artifice and basked in pretension with
competent performances from its aging stars failing to elevate the dreadful
material. Jane Fonda arrives near the film's close in a tersely powerful
performance which turns some of the picture's ostentation on its head.
** out of ****
