FantasyDramaMystery

Youth Without Youth

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.

Release Date : 2007-10-26

Language :GermanSanskritSpanishEnglishItalianFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : American ZoetropeSRG AtelierPricelBIM DistribuzioneBavaria Film

Production Country : FranceGermanyItalyRomaniaUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dominic Matei

Original Name : Tim Roth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veronica / Laura

Original Name : Alexandra Maria Lara

Gender : Female

Character Name : Professor Stanciulescu

Original Name : Bruno Ganz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Josef Rudolf

Original Name : André Hennicke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Professor Tucci

Original Name : Marcel Iureș

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pandit

Original Name : Adrian Pintea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Gavrila

Original Name : Florin Piersic Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Chirila

Original Name : Zoltan Butuc

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hotel Receptionist

Original Name : Anamaria Marinca

Gender : Female

Character Name : Woman in Room 6

Original Name : Alexandra Pirici

Gender : Female

Character Name : Davidoglu

Original Name : Mircea Albulescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Professor

Original Name : Dan Aştileanu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grenzschutz

Original Name : Cristian Balint

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Dragoș Bucur

Gender : Male

Character Name : Librarian

Original Name : Ana Ularu

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Neculache

Original Name : Theodor Danetti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gertrude

Original Name : Roxana Guttman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Taxi Driver

Original Name : Andrei Gheorghe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cook

Original Name : Dorina Lazăr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Rodica Lazăr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Valan

Original Name : Mihai Niculescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Intern Dragena

Original Name : Andi Vasluianu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reception Desk Woman

Original Name : Anamaria Marinca

Gender : Female

Character Name : Anetta

Original Name : Adriana Titieni

Gender : Female

Character Name : Craita

Original Name : Mirela Oprișor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Intern Dragnea

Original Name : Andi Vasluianu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vaian

Original Name : Mihai Niculescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aram

Original Name : Rudy Rosenfeld

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS Officer

Original Name : Răzvan Popa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Swiss Policeman

Original Name : Cristian Balint

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prof. Chavannes

Original Name : Alexandru Repan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Student

Original Name : Bogdan Dumitrescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Malta Doctor

Original Name : Lucian Iancu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Swiss Doctor

Original Name : Alexandru Bindea

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS Officer

Original Name : Dan Badarau

Gender : Male

Character Name : SS Officer

Original Name : Mircea Stoian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Oprisor

Original Name : Cristi Iacob

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doorman

Original Name : Ionuţ Cucoară

Gender : Male

Character Name : Blasi

Original Name : Fabio Scialpi

Gender : Male

Character Name : India Nurse

Original Name : Georgiana Mazilescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maitre'd

Original Name : Nicodim Ungureanu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gardener

Original Name : Sorin Mihai Vasilescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maid

Original Name : Nicoleta Lefter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grad Students

Original Name : Gabi Calinescu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grad Student

Original Name : Ionut Stana

Gender : Male

Character Name : Student

Original Name : Alexandru Sabău

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guard

Original Name : Anton Mihail Hodorog

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roulette Dealer

Original Name : Hansell Campos

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shiva

Original Name : Adrian Horobet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Swiss Prostitute

Original Name : Oana Marian

Gender : Male

Character Name : Swiss Prostitute

Original Name : Adriana Rotaru

Gender : Male

Character Name : Life Magazine Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Matt Damon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Swiss Doctor

Original Name : Florin Kevorkian

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

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-