Ironically, ten years after making his last film, famed Director Frances Ford Coppola, (The Godfather/Apocalypse Now) has seemingly rejuvenated his career, by making a highly acclaimed film about a 70 year old rejuvenated man. Based on the novella by Mircea Eliade, a Romanian philosophy and religion professor at the University of Chicago, Coppola wrote, directed, and produced the mysterious, sprawling, 2007 psychodrama, Youth Without Youth. This film is a curious combination of philosophy, romance, and quasi-science fiction, set in pre-World War II Romania.

As the story opens, Dominic Matei, (Tim Roth) a 70 year old linguistics professor from Bucharest, is mourning the fact that he is nearing the end of life without his long lost love, and having failed to complete his life's work. Contemplating suicide, Matei is struck by lightning on Easter Sunday, 1938, and burned almost beyond recognition. Much to the amazement of his doctor, Roman Stanciulescu, (Bruno Ganz) the previously blind and mute, Matei experiences a miraculous recovery, in which his body regenerates into that of a perfectly healthy, 40 year old man.

Pursued by Nazi agents who want to use him for scientific experiments, Dominic escapes to Switzerland, where he discovers that his intellectual powers have also been rejuvenated, and he is suddenly able to learn a variety of complex languages with very little effort, and begins communicating with a sort of opposite double, who attempts to manipulate his mind. While in Geneva, Dominic meets a young woman, Veronica, (Alexandra Maria Lara) with a strange resemblance to Laura, the lost love of his youth, with whom he is able to begin completing his life long goal of discovering the origin of language.

As complex and far-fetched as this plot summary sounds, let me assure you that I have barely scratched the surface. This esoteric film is filled with obscure flashbacks, metaphysical musing, and altered states of consciousness, somewhere between dreams and reality. Coppola adds to the film's murkiness by injecting upside down and sideways camera angles, and liberal use of symbolic imagery.

Tim Roth delivers a beautifully nuanced performance, considering that much of his dialog is actually more like a monologue with his mysterious double. Bruno Ganz is also quite convincing in his role as Matei's perplexed physician. Matt Damon makes a brief cameo appearance as a Life Magazine Reporter. Special features include a commentary by Francis Ford Coppola, and brief featurettes on the music, make-up (which is one of the film's best features) and the making of the film.

Despite it's obscurity, Youth Without Youth, features some breathtaking scenery, and a hauntingly original soundtrack, reminiscent of the theme song from The Godfather. Overall, it is a very complex, fascinating, piece of film making that will appeal to a very limited arthouse type audience. While moody and aesthetically pleasing, this slowly paced, mind boggling, 125 minute film ultimately becomes a victim of its own ambiguity and stylish pretentiousness.

My Rating: **1/2

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older