Retired orchestra conductor Fred Ballinger is on vacation with his daughter Lena and his film director best friend Mick Boyle in the Alps when he receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth ... Read allRetired orchestra conductor Fred Ballinger is on vacation with his daughter Lena and his film director best friend Mick Boyle in the Alps when he receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to perform for Prince Philip's birthday.Retired orchestra conductor Fred Ballinger is on vacation with his daughter Lena and his film director best friend Mick Boyle in the Alps when he receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to perform for Prince Philip's birthday.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 24 wins & 65 nominations total
- Swing Band
- (as The Retrosettes Sister Band)
- Escort
- (as Gabriela Belisario)
- 1st Queen's Emissary Assistant
- (as Ian Keir Attard)
- Miss Universe
- (as Madalina Ghenea)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter seeing this movie for the first time, Sir Michael Caine wrote writer and director Paolo Sorrentino a letter, saying he was deeply touched, and he described how, during the trip back home in the taxi with his wife, he kept on crying.
- GoofsWhen the conductor comes on stage the violinists in the orchestra are using one hand to clap in their lap. The etiquette is slowly hitting the bow onto the partition support.
- Quotes
Mick Boyle: You say that emotions are overrated. But that's bullshit. Emotions are all we've got.
- Crazy creditsThe film's title credit only appears after 14 minutes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Evening Urgant: Konstantin Kinchev (2015)
- SoundtracksSimple Song #3
Music and lyrics by David Lang
Soprano: Sumi Jo
Violino solo: Viktoria Mullova
Performed by BBC Concert Orchestra
Orchestra conductor: Terry Davies
Orchestra recording at Abbey Road Studios London
Recording assistants: Lewis Jones, John Barrett
Engineer NY: Lawson White
However, as a musician, photographer, and a baby boomer, I absolutely loved it. I would have given it 10 stars except for a poorly written character trait implied in Michael Cain's "Fred Ballinger" to appeal to the gay community for God knows what reason. It doesn't fit into the character's personality or lifestyle at all, and so it made no sense and was purely gratuitous.
Aside from that issue, and the fact that the movie begins with a female singer (Maria Letizia Gorga) who is so talent-less, I have to mute the remote until she is finished, I found this movie to be a "masterpiece", combining sights, sounds and thoughts in a totally original fashion, and takes place in a setting I can't recall ever seeing in any other motion picture. In contrast to the opening singer, the last singer (Sumi Jo) is "extremely" talented.
The acting is flawless from all involved, as is the casting, sets, editing, and most of all: 'the music'. I have since purchased the blu-ray of this film, and have watched it more times than I'd care to admit, and I've never been able to control my emotions at the very end with the voice of an angel soprano singing her heart out to a song that not only should have been nominated for an Oscar (it was), but should have won it hands down. 'Simple Song #3'
If you're an action addict, this film isn't for you. However, if you like beautiful scenery, music, and talent from all involved, you may like this film as much as I did: One of my top ten favorites.
- Unknownian
- Mar 6, 2017
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- La juventud
- Filming locations
- Flims, Kanton Graubünden, Switzerland(Spa at Park Hotel Waldhaus)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- €12,300,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,703,296
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $78,085
- Dec 6, 2015
- Gross worldwide
- $23,469,540
- Runtime2 hours 4 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1