17. Youth
Youth, a meditation on age through the prism of a retired composer, has cooled off in terms of momentum since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. The film's reviews have been positive, particularly for the central performances from Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, and the story's mix of sentimentality and sophistication seems like the perfect recipe for Academy approval. There's another ace in the hand of Youth in the shape of director Paolo Sorrentino. The Italian helmsman is an Oscar favourite, having scooped the Best Foreign Language Film prize back in 2014 for his last film The Great Beauty. If Caine or Keitel find themselves in the acting mix and Sorrentino charms the Academy once again, Youth could join the field of Best Picture competitors.
Tom Beasley
Contributor
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
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