Youth Without Youth (2007)

October 26, 2007 (US) • Fantasy, Drama, Mystery • 125m

Overview

Professor of language and philosophy Dominic Matei is struck by lightning and ages backwards from 70 to 40 in a week, attracting the world and the Nazis. While on the run, the professor meets a young woman who has her own experience with a lightning storm. Not only does Dominic find love again, but her new abilities hold the key to his research.

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers

Mircea Eliade, Francis Ford Coppola

Top Billed

Tim Roth

Keywords

new love amnesia dual identity soulmates based on novel or book love of one's life nepal lightning geneva, switzerland age difference identity psychopath fountain of youth secret identity genius new identity lovers bern partnership car crash aging malta eternal youth crush hospital doctor gestapo parallel world elderly romania

Where to watch

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Tim Roth

Dominic Matei

Alexandra Maria Lara

Veronica / Laura

Bruno Ganz

Professor Stanciulescu

André Hennicke

Dr. Josef Rudolf

Marcel Iureș

Professor Tucci

Adrian Pintea

Pandit

Florin Piersic Jr.

Dr. Gavrila

Zoltan Butuc

Dr. Chirila

Anamaria Marinca

Hotel Receptionist

Alexandra Pirici

Woman in Room 6

Mircea Albulescu

Davidoglu

Dan Aştileanu

Professor

Cristian Balint

Grenzschutz

Dragoș Bucur

Bartender

Ana Ularu

Librarian

Theodor Danetti

Dr. Neculache

Roxana Guttman

Gertrude

Andrei Gheorghe

Taxi Driver

Dorina Lazăr

Cook

Rodica Lazăr

Bank Teller

Mihai Niculescu

Valan

Andi Vasluianu

Intern Dragena

Anamaria Marinca

Reception Desk Woman

Adriana Titieni

Anetta

Mirela Oprișor

Craita

Andi Vasluianu

Intern Dragnea

Mihai Niculescu

Vaian

Rudy Rosenfeld

Aram

Răzvan Popa

SS Officer

Cristian Balint

Swiss Policeman

Alexandru Repan

Prof. Chavannes

Bogdan Dumitrescu

Student

Lucian Iancu

Malta Doctor

Alexandru Bindea

Swiss Doctor

Dan Badarau

SS Officer

Mircea Stoian

SS Officer

Cristi Iacob

Dr. Oprisor

Ionuţ Cucoară

Doorman

Fabio Scialpi

Blasi

Georgiana Mazilescu

India Nurse

Nicodim Ungureanu

Maitre'd

Sorin Mihai Vasilescu

Gardener

Nicoleta Lefter

Maid

Gabi Calinescu

Grad Students

Ionut Stana

Grad Student

Alexandru Sabău

Student

Anton Mihail Hodorog

Guard

Hansell Campos

Roulette Dealer

Adrian Horobet

Shiva

Oana Marian

Swiss Prostitute

Adriana Rotaru

Swiss Prostitute

Florin Kevorkian

Swiss Doctor

Matt Damon

Life Magazine Reporter (uncredited)

Crew

Francis Ford Coppola

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Producer

Mircea Eliade

Novel

Anahid Nazarian

Executive Producer

Fred Roos

Executive Producer

Mihai Malaimare Jr.

Director of Photography

Osvaldo Golijov

Original Music Composer

Walter Murch

Editor

Florin Kevorkian

Casting

Roman Coppola

Second Unit Director

Michael Pärt

Music Editor

Călin Papură

Production Design

Gloria Papura

Costume Design

Pete Horner

Sound Designer

Michal Křeček

Digital Compositor

Francis Ford Coppola

Writer

Walter Murch

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Pete Horner

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Cristina Tirulnic

Adaptation

Peter Swords King

Makeup & Hair

Adi Popa

Set Decoration

Mihai Bogos

Sound Recordist

Corina Stavilă

Associate Editor

Sean Cullen

Associate Editor

Masa Tsuyuki

Associate Producer

Adriana Rotaru

Production Manager

Doina Dragnea

Production Manager

Anatol Reghintovschi

Assistant Director

Karen Lindsay-Stewart

Casting

Mircea Onisoru

Art Direction

Ruxandra Ionică

Art Direction

Radu Rosu

Assistant Production Design

Doru Vlad

Set Painter

Gabriel Bucur

Props

Adi Iancu

Props

Dora Somova

Props

Marius Trandafir

Leadman

Octavian Dragulin

Swing

Batranu Dan Ciprian

Swing

Dumitru Papa

Swing

Bogdan Coconoiu

Picture Car Coordinator

Adina Bucur

Costume Supervisor

Mariana Pall

Assistant Costume Designer

Carmen Moldovan

Costumer

Ana Maria Lazar

Costumer

Tereza Radu

Tailor

Mihaela Istoc

Wardrobe Assistant

Dana Roșeanu

Makeup Artist

Domnica Sava

Hairstylist

Craita Nanu

Second Assistant Director

Vladimir Anton

Second Assistant Director

Oana Ene

Second Assistant Director

Crina Constantinescu

Assistant Production Manager

Marian Moldoveanu

Location Manager

Iulian Pana

Location Manager

Adrian Codoi

Location Manager

Ioana Stoica

Location Scout

Ilie Georgica

First Assistant Camera

Bogdan Talpeanu

Second Assistant Camera

Cos Aelenei

Still Photographer

Marius Bercu

Gaffer

Marian Duca

Best Boy Grip

Stefan Stefanovschi

Electrician

Alex Cosma

Electrician

Anton Costescu

Electrician

Paul Ticu

Electrician

Matei Mircea

Boom Operator

Jennifer Furches

Script Supervisor

Liliana Toma

Extras Casting

Razvan Secara

Extras Casting Coordinator

Ruxandra Comsa

Production Assistant

Raluca Mateescu

Production Assistant

Mircea Raschitor

Production Assistant

Ioana Ofileanu

Production Assistant

Liviu Popescu

Production Assistant

Alexandru Ungureanu

Production Assistant

Andrei Ciubotaru

Production Assistant

Razvan Puiu

Stunt Coordinator

Octavian Golgot

Stunt Coordinator

Daniel Parvulescu

Special Effects Coordinator

Doru Cretu

Special Effects Assistant

Kevin N. Bailey

First Assistant Editor

Kevin N. Bailey

Additional Visual Effects

Andrei Dăscălescu

Assistant Editor

Andrei Dăscălescu

Additional Visual Effects

Kálmán Balogh

Musician

Kayhan Kalhor

Musician

Michael Ward-Bergeman

Musician

Radu Popa

Conductor

Attila Tõzsér

Music Editor

Viorel Dobre

ADR Recordist

Viorel Dobre

ADR Editor

Alexandru Dragomir

Dialogue Editor

John Nutt

Dialogue Editor

Vadim Staver

Foley Editor

Vadim Staver

Foley Recordist

Victor Panfilov

Sound Effects Editor

Victor Panfilov

Assistant Sound Editor

Vít Komrzý

Visual Effects Producer

David Váňa

Visual Effects Supervisor

Jan Vseticek

Visual Effects Coordinator

Peter Nemec

Digital Compositor

Miro Gal

Digital Compositor

Tomas Kalhous

Digital Compositor

Jan Heusler

Digital Compositor

Patrik Bergman

Digital Compositor

Stepán Batousek

Digital Compositor

Vasek Ondrousek

Digital Compositor

Jana Jurnickova

Digital Compositor

Helena Keslová

Digital Compositor

Robert Pik

Digital Compositor

Zdenek Machuta

Digital Compositor

Jaroslav Matys

Animation

Jaroslav Matys

Modeling

Ales Dlabac

Animation

Ales Dlabac

Modeling

Jirí Linhart

Animation

Jirí Linhart

Modeling

Milan Vasek

Animation

Milan Vasek

Modeling

Jiří Štamfest

Matte Painter

Fabio Scialpi

Technical Advisor

Vasile Anghel

Transportation Coordinator

Marian Pascale

Transportation Coordinator

Eduard Raschitor

Driver

Stefan Tudose

Driver

Emilian Tiberiu Lupu

Driver

Gelu Stratulat

Driver

Mircea Niculescu

Driver

Ionut Chiru

Driver

Jeremy Woodhead

Hair Designer

Jeremy Woodhead

Makeup Designer

Chris Lyons

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Reviews

Wuchak

⭐ 6/10

June 24, 2018

Equal parts fascinating, entertaining, beautiful, inscrutable, contrived and tedious

RELEASED IN 2007, "Youth Without Youth" was Francis Ford Coppola's return to filmmaking after a ten-year absence. The story revolves around a 70 year-old man (Tim Roth) in Romania at the outset of WWII who is struck by lightning and miraculously regains his youth, looking like a 40 year-old man. He acquires amazing powers as well, like psycho-kinesis and the ability to "read" a book by "scanning" it with his mind. The Nazi's catch wind of his amazing evolution and want to study him to contribute to the “master race” (or whatever). The second half of the film takes place after the war years when the man finds a woman who looks like a young version of his deceased love (Alexandra Maria Lara). Incredibly, she too is struck by lightning with differing results and it aids in his research on the origins of languages.

The plot brings to mind two films from the mid-90s that also address people with fascinating powers: "Powder" and "Phenomenon." The latter was decent whereas the former shot for greatness and in some ways attained it. "Youth Without Youth" is completely different in tone, mostly due to the WWII time-frame, but also because it's less of a wannabe blockbuster and more artsy and nigh unfathomable.

It has been said that "Youth Without Youth" was an intensely personal project for Coppola. The topic, based on the novel by Mircea Eliade, resonated with him and he was driven to convey it on film. You get the impression that Coppola had discovered the answer to the mysteries of life and wanted to share it with the world.

Think about it: Coppola is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and he had a full decade to conceive, prepare, make and release a film. He could've churned out blockbuster drivel like the "Transformers" movies (not that there's anything wrong with that, lol), but as a true artist he's beyond caring about creating popular popcorn fare and the "success" thereof. It brings to mind Willard's observations about Col. Kurtz (Brando) in Coppola's renowned "Apocalypse Now" (1979): "He could've gone for general, but he went for himself instead." Francis could've gone for mindless and lucrative entertainment, but he had something more important in mind.

So "Youth Without Youth" is a work of art, and certainly interesting and entertaining in some ways, but it requires willingness and effort to handle the 124 minutes runtime. It is a dense film, loaded with depth; it may even hold the secrets to life itself! Beyond that, it features some beautiful cinematography, music and women.

Speaking of the women, I found it curious that women are shown to be universally attracted to Dominic, the main character played by Roth. After all, Roth is short and hardly a George Clooney. But then I reflected on it and accepted it. Why? Because women have a sort of sixth sense, typically called "women's intuition,” where they see or sense things beyond the physical. In other words, Dominic had highly evolved and was, in essence, a superior human being. He may not have been an Adonis, but women instinctively picked up on his evolutionary superiority and drew to him like a magnet.

Another plus are the locations, shot in Romania and Bulgaria with establishing shots of the Himalayas and India.

Needless to say, this is a difficult film to rate. If you're in the mood for conventional cinematic entertainment "Youth Without Youth" won't fill the bill even though there are several entertaining elements (the aforementioned cinematography, music, women and locations); but if you're looking for cinematic art and weighty mind food it's an "A." As such, my balanced rating is...

GRADE: B-

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