ShareThisIt's unfair to expect lightning to strike again for Francis Ford Coppola, who would go on as one of history's great directors even if he never made another film. And Coppola, 68, just about never makes new films. "Youth Without Youth" is his first since "The Rainmaker" (1997). In his strong but inconsistent new drama, it's clear that he's not even attempting to match the majesty and scope of "The Godfather" or "Apocalypse Now."Keep such masterpieces in mind and you'll surely be disappointed with the quiet, solemn "Youth Without Youth." But judged on its own merits, the drama is an affecting, thoughtful rumination on aging. In a sense, the story of an elderly man who's struck by lightning and reborn as a young man is a bold move for Coppola. It would be easier to sit back and rest on his legend rather than press on as an average filmmaker, which is what Coppola has become.You needn't be great to tell an interesting story, though, and Coppola does just that. Tim Roth plays Dominic, an elderly linguist in the 1930s who fears he'll die before he can complete his life's work -- seemingly a comprehensive study on the evolution of language and knowledge through human history. The shortcoming is all the more tragic, a flashback reveals, because he spurned the great love of his life to obsess over his work.After the fateful jolt of electricity, Dominic is badly burned, but as he recovers in a hospital he grows new skin, hair and teeth. He's also bestowed with supernatural powers, including the ability a read entire books simply by waving his hand over them and a psychic nature that allows him to win at gambling. Dominic is tracked and studied by Nazis and other researchers but eventually breaks out on his own to live a nondescript, self-determined existence. The scientific anomaly has given him a new lease on life, which will present him the same choice he faced in his first youth: work or love. Once he meets Veronica (Alexandra Maria Lara), who reminds him of his lost love, who was also played by Lara, he vows not to make the same mistake. But Dominic can't quite hide from his past, which surfaces when Lara slips into manic, otherworldly spells in which she takes on the personalities of women in lost civilizations. The spells help Dominic with his research, but they're killers of his love life. Even worse, Dominic discovers that his mere presence is a poison to Veronica, causing her to age at a tremendous rate.Coppola tries to spice things up with flashy, experimental dream sequences, but they add little to the tapestry. The aging-makeup effects are astounding, and Roth effectively pulls off the mannerisms of a character at various ages. The visuals help the story cast a quiet, powerful spell, although some disjointed storytelling breaks the flow.The disappointing thing for Coppola and his fans is that we won't likely see the director enjoy a renaissance like that of Dominic.3 stars out of 4Rated: R for some sexuality, nudity and a brief disturbing image.Cast: Tim Roth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Adrian Pintea, Matt Damon.Director: Francis Ford Coppola.Family call: Strictly for adults.Running time: 124 minutes.(Phil Villarreal is the author of the novel "Stormin' Mormon" (Publish America, $19.95) due out in March and available on Amazon.com. Contact him at pvillarreal(at)azstarnet.com)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
'Youth Without Youth' is thoughtful, but inconsistent
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