LONDON -- It has been 10 years since Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola last worked behind the camera, but high expectations for his new feature Youth Without Youth, which screened Sunday at the RomaCinemaFest, are dashed as it proves to be a muddled fantasy about the transmigration of souls.
Handsomely made on a low budget, the film has the polished look of a Coppola film with expert contributions from some master craftsmen. But the story is full of arcane references that many will find nonsensical, and the performances are a letdown. Lacking coherence and suspense, the picture is likely to attract a cult following while disappointing Coppola's fan base.
Tim Roth plays an elderly linguistics scholar who is struck by lightning and not only begins to grow younger but also can master languages he never knew. Beginning in Bucharest, Romania, in 1938, the story has Nazi spies, fascists and a beautiful young woman who also is struck by lightning. She, however, is turned into a seventh century disciple of Chandrakirti who can speak ancient tongues and starts aging at a furious rate.
The far-fetched tale relates the strange events that overtake 70-year-old Dominic Roth) after he is struck by lightning while planning suicide. Delighted to learn that he is getting younger, he is troubled to discover he has a double that materializes with evil intent. Dominic is further alarmed by the attentions of a sexy Nazi spy known only as the Woman in Room 6 (Alexandra Pirici) and the evil Dr. Josef Rudolf (Andre M. Hennicke) who employs her.
Fleeing to Switzerland, the scholar survives World War II and continues his work until one day he encounters two young women who soon afterward run their car off the road in a storm. One of them, Veronica Alexandra Maria Lara), survives, but having been struck by lightning she now speaks Sanskrit and calls herself Rupini.
Eventually Veronica re-emerges as herself, but Dominic not only believes she is Rupini reincarnated but he also falls in love with her. As he is getting younger by the day while she gets older, something has to give. Not to mention the meddlesome double.
Coppola's screenplay lurches from one extreme to the next, while as director he indulges unexceptional acting. Roth fails to establish Dominic as a vital character. His best screen outings are when he's animated by villainy, but here his doleful countenance sinks into the scholar's passive vulnerability.
Coppola is clearly captivated by the mystical contemplations of Romanian author Mircea Eliade, upon whose novella the film is based, but his fascination hasn't translated into a fascinating motion picture. Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. uses a static camera to capture production designer Calin Papura's atmospheric sets, while editor Walter Murch assembles it all with typical skill.
YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH
Sony Pictures Classics
American Zoetrope presents a SRG Atelier, Pricel and BIM Dsistribuzione production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director-producer: Frances Ford Coppola
Based on the novella by: Mircea Eliade
Executive producers: Anahid Nazarian, Fred Roos
Director of photography: Mihai Malaimare Jr.
Production designer: Calin Papura
Music: Osvaldo Golijov
Costume designer: Gloria Papura
Editor: Walter Murch
Cast:
Dominic: Tim Roth
Veronica/ Laura/Rupini: Alexandra Maria Lara
Professor Stanciulescu: Bruno Ganz
Woman in Room 6: Alexandra Pirici
Dr. Josef Rudolf: Andre M. Hennicke
Professor Tucci: Marcel Inures
Pandit: Adrian Pintea
Dr. Gavrila: Florin Piersic Jr.
Dr. Chirila: Zoltan Butuc
Anetta: Adriana Titieni
Running time -- 124 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Handsomely made on a low budget, the film has the polished look of a Coppola film with expert contributions from some master craftsmen. But the story is full of arcane references that many will find nonsensical, and the performances are a letdown. Lacking coherence and suspense, the picture is likely to attract a cult following while disappointing Coppola's fan base.
Tim Roth plays an elderly linguistics scholar who is struck by lightning and not only begins to grow younger but also can master languages he never knew. Beginning in Bucharest, Romania, in 1938, the story has Nazi spies, fascists and a beautiful young woman who also is struck by lightning. She, however, is turned into a seventh century disciple of Chandrakirti who can speak ancient tongues and starts aging at a furious rate.
The far-fetched tale relates the strange events that overtake 70-year-old Dominic Roth) after he is struck by lightning while planning suicide. Delighted to learn that he is getting younger, he is troubled to discover he has a double that materializes with evil intent. Dominic is further alarmed by the attentions of a sexy Nazi spy known only as the Woman in Room 6 (Alexandra Pirici) and the evil Dr. Josef Rudolf (Andre M. Hennicke) who employs her.
Fleeing to Switzerland, the scholar survives World War II and continues his work until one day he encounters two young women who soon afterward run their car off the road in a storm. One of them, Veronica Alexandra Maria Lara), survives, but having been struck by lightning she now speaks Sanskrit and calls herself Rupini.
Eventually Veronica re-emerges as herself, but Dominic not only believes she is Rupini reincarnated but he also falls in love with her. As he is getting younger by the day while she gets older, something has to give. Not to mention the meddlesome double.
Coppola's screenplay lurches from one extreme to the next, while as director he indulges unexceptional acting. Roth fails to establish Dominic as a vital character. His best screen outings are when he's animated by villainy, but here his doleful countenance sinks into the scholar's passive vulnerability.
Coppola is clearly captivated by the mystical contemplations of Romanian author Mircea Eliade, upon whose novella the film is based, but his fascination hasn't translated into a fascinating motion picture. Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. uses a static camera to capture production designer Calin Papura's atmospheric sets, while editor Walter Murch assembles it all with typical skill.
YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH
Sony Pictures Classics
American Zoetrope presents a SRG Atelier, Pricel and BIM Dsistribuzione production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director-producer: Frances Ford Coppola
Based on the novella by: Mircea Eliade
Executive producers: Anahid Nazarian, Fred Roos
Director of photography: Mihai Malaimare Jr.
Production designer: Calin Papura
Music: Osvaldo Golijov
Costume designer: Gloria Papura
Editor: Walter Murch
Cast:
Dominic: Tim Roth
Veronica/ Laura/Rupini: Alexandra Maria Lara
Professor Stanciulescu: Bruno Ganz
Woman in Room 6: Alexandra Pirici
Dr. Josef Rudolf: Andre M. Hennicke
Professor Tucci: Marcel Inures
Pandit: Adrian Pintea
Dr. Gavrila: Florin Piersic Jr.
Dr. Chirila: Zoltan Butuc
Anetta: Adriana Titieni
Running time -- 124 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth, the helmer's first feature film effort in 10 years, will have its world premiere at the RomaCinemaFest, sales agent Pathe Pictures International announced Thursday.
Starring Tim Roth as an elderly professor whose apparent immortality makes him a target of the Nazis, the World War II-set tale was filmed in Romania. Coppola also wrote the screenplay, which is adapted from the novella by author Mircea Eliade.
"This film represents a new period in my career, where I intend to make only personal films," Coppola said. "I look forward to showing it at this new festival in Italy, whose great masters such as Rossellini, Fellini, Visconti, Pasolini and Antonioni inspired my early career."
Youth, Coppola's first film since 1997's The Rainmaker, also stars Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Pirici, Marcel Iures and Andre Hennicke.
The second annual RomaCinemaFest runs Oct. 18-27.
Starring Tim Roth as an elderly professor whose apparent immortality makes him a target of the Nazis, the World War II-set tale was filmed in Romania. Coppola also wrote the screenplay, which is adapted from the novella by author Mircea Eliade.
"This film represents a new period in my career, where I intend to make only personal films," Coppola said. "I look forward to showing it at this new festival in Italy, whose great masters such as Rossellini, Fellini, Visconti, Pasolini and Antonioni inspired my early career."
Youth, Coppola's first film since 1997's The Rainmaker, also stars Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Pirici, Marcel Iures and Andre Hennicke.
The second annual RomaCinemaFest runs Oct. 18-27.
- 5/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- We’ve been wondering out loud for a while now who would distrbute Francis Ford Coppola’s newest project. Wonder no more. Today, Sony Pictures Classics that they’ve acquired Youth Without Youth for a Fall 2007 release. Based on the novella by Romanian author and intellectual Mircea Eliade. This stars Tim Roth as Dominic Matei, an elderly professor whose mysterious rejuvenation heightens his intelligence and whose apparent immortality makes him a target for the Nazis in this World War II-era parable. Becoming a fugitive, he is pursued through far-flung locations including Romania, Switzerland, Malta and India. The also stars Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Andre M. Hennicke, Marcel Iures, and introduces Alexandra Pirici. Son Roman Coppola directed the second unit. The move shows that Spc is flexing a little muscle – slightly more aggressive in finding material for their slate and on Coppola’s part, it announces that the filmmaker
- 3/23/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American distribution rights to Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth, the director's first film since 1997's The Rainmaker. A late fall release is planned.
Coppola wrote, directed, and produced the film, adapting the screenplay from a novella by Romanian author Mircea Eliade. A parable set in World War II, the film stars Tim Roth as Dominic Matei, an elderly professor whose mysterious rejuvenation heightens his intelligence and whose apparent immortality makes him a target for the Nazis. "It is a love story wrapped in a mystery," Coppola said.
The film also stars Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Andre M. Hennicke, Marcel Iures and introduces Alexandra Pirici.
The independently produced project was shot in Romania over 18 months. Walter Murch joined Coppola there to edit the film.
Said Coppola: "The story revolves around the key themes that I most hope to understand better: time, consciousness and the dreamlike basis of reality."
Added SPC co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard: " 'Youth Without Youth' is what we call a full meal, satisfying in all departments."...
Coppola wrote, directed, and produced the film, adapting the screenplay from a novella by Romanian author Mircea Eliade. A parable set in World War II, the film stars Tim Roth as Dominic Matei, an elderly professor whose mysterious rejuvenation heightens his intelligence and whose apparent immortality makes him a target for the Nazis. "It is a love story wrapped in a mystery," Coppola said.
The film also stars Alexandra Maria Lara, Bruno Ganz, Andre M. Hennicke, Marcel Iures and introduces Alexandra Pirici.
The independently produced project was shot in Romania over 18 months. Walter Murch joined Coppola there to edit the film.
Said Coppola: "The story revolves around the key themes that I most hope to understand better: time, consciousness and the dreamlike basis of reality."
Added SPC co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard: " 'Youth Without Youth' is what we call a full meal, satisfying in all departments."...
- 3/23/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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