Youth Without Youth (2007)

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, OPUS 23

****1/2 2007. Based on Mircea Eliade's Youth Without Youth, this film was written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Struck by a lightning, a 70 years old Romanian teacher survives and is rewarded by the ability to live a second life that will allow him to assimilate the whole human Knowledge. This is a haunting movie dealing with important themes such as time, love, oldness or Man's origin, it kept me awake late last night long after its ending. I wouldn't qualify this film as arty because its form and its story aren't incomprehensible for the lambda viewer. The themes handled by the director are intellectually demanding but their exposition is very simple; that's the mark of a great director. Highly recommended. July 23, 2008

For film students and philosophers

Because nobody else is going to enjoy it. I had high hopes for this film that were entirely unrealized. The premise of the movie isn't even original - a man endures an accident and grows younger, to be pursued by those who want to understand and exploit his secret. Stephen King did that in 1991's Golden Years, and it wasnt that interesting then.

The only positive comment I can make about this movie is that it's visually interesting - the cinematography and period recreation is well done. Otherwise this is a rambling incoherent mess passing itself off as a stream of consciousness film.

This is an art film. If you're someone who enjoys perusing art galleries trying to intellectualize and decipher meaning from abstract images, then you'll enjoy this. If you're seeking to be entertained for entertainments sake, put this movie down and step slowly away. July 14, 2008

Confusing, boring and pretentious

There were great expectations with this movie, ten years after the latest Coppola movie.The result, however, seems very disappointing. There's no doubt that the photography is gorgeous; but that's all about its merits. Actually, there's about 8 to 10 movies in here and none makes complete sense. The first plot about a 70 year-old linguist who is literally hit by a thunderbolt and regains youth takes you to another one and then another and then another, with thin (or none)substantial relation between them, being its pretentiousness the only linking root. Crowded with bizarre characters, the confusing story depicts - besides the hero - a wise scientist, a bunch of nazis trying to kidnap the linguist, a girl with memories of lost love, spies, more nazis and many more. The intriguing anecdotes take you from Rumania to India, Malta and Switzerland, but actually the movie goes nowhere. I's hard to make much sense out of such a muddle. And it's also hard to believe that this pretentious, over-plotted, awfully boring and sometimes ludicrous hotch potch belongs to the same creator who gave such masterpieces like THE GODFATHER TRILOGY or APOCALYPSE NOW. June 21, 2008

A good film at last !!!

This fascinating film is not "run-of-the-mill". Flooded with thousands of titles every year we struggle in a deep deficit of films that appeal to intellectual speculation. Based on an excellent story by Mircea Eliade, it takes Coppola to deal with the unreal with the same objectivity as with the real. Excellent interpretations. June 11, 2008

Partly Brilliant, Partly Pretentious, Partly Radiant

I have very mixed feelings about this film. The idea of two people struck by lightning - one who grows young and the other who grows old - who just happen to fall in love is, to put it bluntly, an absurdity. Yes it is true that the director explores some interesting philosophical ideas, particularly Eastern wisdom, but overall I found the project disjointed and imperfect. Some of the powers of the main protagonist, such as
digesting a book's contents by merely passing his hand over the volume, are utterly unconvincing. Interesting ideas, beautiful cinematography, and good acting cannot overcome weaker plot and poorer editing. As it turns out, I much preferred that other (science) fiction movie about a person struck by lightning, entitled "Powder." June 5, 2008

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