The Worst Film Ever

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I've seen a lot of movies in my life, but I can't recall a single one with so many good actors involved in such a great nonsense: a supposedly adult reflection on life and aging, filled with commonplace phrases and silly remarks of all sorts, with signs and hints leading nowhere and at the same time predictability in the most childish way (from the incomprehensible inclusion of senseless scenes with Diego Maradona, one of the most stupidest men on earth, to the moment Michael Caine tells the buddhist monk something like "You can't fool me, I know you can't levitate", after which you can bet your life you will get a scene with the monk's levitation...) I don't think this awful mess deserves any more words: it's the greatest and saddest waste of money and talented actors I've ever seen.

The story is set at an expensive Swiss health resort and it focuses, in particular, on an aging director, Mick (Harvey Keitel), and an even older ex-composer, Fred (Michael Caine). Fred seems like a man waiting to die and even though the Queen of the United Kingdom wants him to perform for her, he makes lots of excuses. His friend Mick, however, seems very active...trying to make that one great film which will be his finale.The film has hardly any plot apart from two old men contemplating life and their existence. In many ways, if you like one of Ingmar Bergman's more depressing films, you essentially know what "Youth" is going to be like...somber, depressing, supposedly insightful and as much fun to watch as your grandmother taking a bath. Overall, a hard film to watch, let alone enjoy. Some obviously like it based on the other reviews, but I found that even though the film was made well and well acted, it was tedious and depressing. Even an incredibly beautiful and sensual nude scene wasn't enough to spark my interest in this story.

I was so excited to see Youth. Michael Caine had been promoting it all year, claiming it was the movie he was most proud of in his career, and everyone hoped he'd finally nab the Best Actor Oscar. It didn't make it to any of my local movie theaters, but I rented it the first available weekend. Had I sat through it, it would probably be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Thankfully, remotes have a little button called "fast-forward" so I was only forced to watch about thirty collective minutes.Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel are on vacation in a spa in the Alps. Michael is a retired composer, and Harvey is a film director. They're old friends, and they talk about their work, their families, and getting older. Michael's daughter, Rachel Weisz, shows up because her husband left her, and an aging actress, Jane Fonda, shows up to talk about a role. That's all I was able to get out of the plot. The disjointed scene transitions, strange music choices, minimalistic script, random nude women, and generally confusing storyline ruined the rest of the film. Unless you love "art films" and have the absolute opposite taste in movies as I do, I would tell you to stay as far away from Youth as possible.Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic nudity and confusing content, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.

I'm going to keep this simple - I think. I don't know how to describe this film. One reviewer hated it, said it had no structure and indeed it is a bit dis-structured in conventional movie terms. I have no patience for a crappy film, I watched this right through and loved it. It's a movie in scenes, you're always wondering what's going on while little by little it draws you in. I love and appreciate film, characters especially and everyone is superb. The characters are studied and close up. If you're a "Fast and Furious" fan you most likely will not like the film. It's an inner film, lush and full, thought provoking. Each character brings quirky insights into life, experience, as you get know them, their life. I haven't told you what the movie is about - read the cover. Warning, it can only give you an idea of where it takes place and with whom. A film on this level can only be watched in order to know. In the end I was left stunned. I'll watch it again..