YOUTH Special Screenings

Director Paolo Sorrentino, whose previous film THE GREAT BEAUTY (AFI FEST 2013) went on to win the 2014 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar®, returns to the festival with YOUTH, boasting one of his most impressive casts yet. Michael Caine, in a career-defining performance, plays an aging composer who has retreated to a picturesque Swiss spa to enjoy his retirement.  There he whiles away the days with his filmmaker pal, played with bombastic energy by Harvey Keitel, and another semi-permanent resident, brought to life by Paul Dano, all seeking solace from their own demons.  Eventually the outside world darkens their doorstep, first in the form of Rachel Weisz, as Caine’s daughter, and then Jane Fonda, in a scene-stealing performance as Keitel’s fiery former muse. A beautiful, surprising rumination on relationships, YOUTH is a triumphant tour de force. —Lane Kneedler