Emotions aren’t overrated. Emotions are all we got.

YOUTH is a symphony of emotions, friendship, introspection, career and love. The film begins with a mesmerizing extended shot of The Retrosettes Sister Band performing a cover of “You Got the Love.” From that moment on, I knew I was in for a treat. I was crying ten minutes into “Youth” and in disarray by its finale. Thank the heavens for the simple songs and plentiful laughs mixed in between. Youth is a cinematic knockout! It makes you realize how beautiful and precious life is, and how easily the best moments can be forgotten. Bravo, Paolo Sorrentino!

Sorrentino is a maestro at conducting your emotions. With great dexterity, he conveys miraculous care, respect and admiration for his audience. Sorrentino knows exactly how to cheer you up, whether it be with humor, a spontaneous music video, or a profound reflection on life. This auteurist piece emotionally innovates through strong visual artistry and aesthetic intelligence. The textured screenplay is also one of my favorites of this decade. It s sincerely poetic, throughly tender, and deeply felt.

The performances of Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, and Jane Fonda (scene-stealing with her big blonde wig and all) are STELLAR and carry great emotional depth. I’d like to give a special note to Paul Dano, playing a younger Johnny Depp-type, in one of the best roles of his blossoming career. Dano and the wonderful Rachel Weisz, sadly, will both be overlooked due to their brilliant supporting counterparts. Youth is honestly one of the most tender and personal films I’ve seen in my life. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so deeply touched by cinema in a movie theater.

Just-For-Laughs: You can almost pretend YOUTH is really about Steven Spielberg and John Williams vacationing together at a celebrity health spa in the Swiss Alps w/ Johnny Depp.