There are a number of films from the 2015 Cannes Film Festival that have stuck with me over the past few months. Denis Villeneuve's “Sicario” (which will hit theaters in September), Jia Zhangke's “Mountains May Depart,” Gaspar Noé's “Love” and Todd Haynes' “Carol” immediately come to mind for one reason or another. The one film that I've actually been dying to see again, however, is Paolo Sorrentino's “Youth.”
Fox Searchlight picked up the drama before Cannes and clearly has high hopes it can make a dent during the upcoming awards season. They are leading that charge with a Best Actor campaign for Michael Caine who, no surprise, is quite superb as a retired maestro whose annual summer treat contains a number of unexpected surprises. You can watch Searchlight's first trailer for “Youth” (which is very Caine-centric) embedded at the bottom of this post.
Now, just in case you aren't the biggest fan of the two-time Oscar winner (perish the thought) or think this movie looks like it skews for the senior set (wouldn't disagree with you based on this preview), I'm here to make sure you realize that's hardly the case. Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano and Harvey Keitel have significant story lines and deliver performances that also deserve kudos. The one thing the new trailer perfectly teases, however, is the third act arrival of Jane Fonda. Make no mistake, Fonda will receive significant buzz for her portrayal of legendary (but fictional) actress Brenda Morel. As I wrote this past May:
“No review of 'Youth' can be written without touching upon on the bolt of energy that hits the screen upon Fonda's arrival. Sorrentino has created a character in Morel that she brings to life with a fireball of hatred. Morel”s garish makeup and a wig that looks like it was bought straight off of Hollywood Boulevard immediately communicate how toxic this 'legend' is, but it's Fonda who transforms her scathing takedown of the narrow-minded movie industry into one of the film”s most memorable moments.”
The studio could have included a lot more of Fonda in this preview, but they smartly held back. Of course, showcasing a little more of Sorrentino's cinematic flourishes and the performances of Dano and Weisz wouldn't hurt. And if this teaser doesn't pique your interest, there's always this international trailer that still works for me.
“Youth” will screen at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and opens in limited release in the U.S. on Dec. 4.
What do you think of what you've seen of “Youth” so far? Share your thoughts below.