Testament of Youth

Maybe I should not say this, but I felt this film was just so ordinary. I accept that Vera Brittain lived through so much that she needed to put it on paper. However, what’s the use of it, when the film appears so drab. Yes, the actors were good, but what started as a sentimental romance ends like a dull war drama. There were some interesting scenes on the battlefield, but it certainly does not save the film as a whole. (04.04.2016)

The combination of Vera Brittain and Alicia Vikander is absolutely perfect. The cruel arc of 1914-1918 lived through with all the emotions that came with it. The lost generation, the suffragettes... everything in its place. Formally and in terms of acting it is also flawless. (10.10.2016)

Testament of Youth is, as the posters suggest, a typically romantic (big) film that assaults all the viewer's senses. It is not as sophisticated and emotional as Atonement, nor as classically old-school raw as Cold Mountain. But cinematographer Rob Hardy does some pretty decent magic (truly impressive shots of nature, lighting, editing, details, etc.), and Alicia Vikander is a very talented actress. It's not going to pick up Oscars or make millions, it's ironically more of an intimate film that doesn't have a single war scene. It is, however, interesting in its portrayal of the characters and especially in the key and rather devastating role war plays in this melodramatic story. Subliminal, emotional, without a direct display of expressive violence. Definitely a major surprise that is worth watching. (01.11.2015)