"I don't want to read any more of it, write any more of it, I don't even want to talk about it anymore," said the novelist Philip Roth in 2012, as he announced his retirement from literature. "I'm tired of all that work. I'm in a different stage of my life."
So it is with Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine), the octogenarian protagonist of Paolo Sorrentino's "Youth." Much like the actor who plays him, Fred is considered a national treasure in his native U.K., following an illustrious career as a composer and conductor. His most famous work, "Simple Songs," is so ubiquitous it's become a staple practice piece for beginner musicians.
But you won't hear Fred playing it any more. So staunch is his commitment to retirement that even an entreaty from Queen Elizabeth II to conduct one final performance of the piece for Prince Philip's birthday can't tempt him to pick up the baton again.