YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH IS COPALLA'S "OPUS"Francis Ford Coppala has been MIA for the past 10 years and then now presents this film he wrote and directed. The first part of this film has a Bergman/Fellini/Lynch sort of feel and it's what I imagine a regular movie on acid would be like. I refuse to attempt to even try to present the film's plot and/or the hidden messages detected thereof. The dream world meets reality is actually a dream but it's not. Got that? Yeah, me neither. However the second part of this film, feels like Hitchcock and the more romantic moments of his films. Past lives, his one and only love, throwing one's self before a speeding train to save a lover who has got her heel stuck in the train track... bits and pieces that attempt to describe.
Each scene has carefully scored music to accompany it and that music plays like an individual role and/or character. It is a beautiful, lavish film. Tim Roth plays the main character, Dominic, but aside from a brief appearance by Matt Damon, there were no other cast members I recognised. Roth owned this part. It could have been played too over the top, but he gave it just enough energy to bring Dominic to life and hitting a home run for the good of the whole movie. I was mesmerized by him. Even when the film took tangents that I could barely follow, it was Roth than was impossible to ignore. This film was beautiful, heartfelt and well made. That being said, this is not a movie for the masses. It is long and hard to follow at times. If you can handle existential psychology, then this is your film.
PICK: Although not for everyone, beautiful looking well acted and a strong musical score.
