Testament of Youth

Unapologetically emotional and impeccably made in the classic manner, it tells the kind of potent, many-sided story whose unforeseen complexities can come only courtesy of a life that lived them all.

An intimate epic, Testament of Youth has great historical sweep yet remains focused on the human vicissitudes experienced by Vera and her circle.

Should you ever be tempted to wax nostalgic for an age in which wars were fought according to the laws of cause and effect and for reasons that may confidently be labeled “rational,” pick up Vera Brittain’s World War I memoir Testament of Youth or steel yourself for James Kent’s mournful, very fine new film starring Alicia Vikander as Brittain.

As a film, Testament of Youth glimmers with sadness, but also the apprehension of sadness: we know not all of these boys are coming back.

It’s a quiet, thoughtful and handsomely mounted film, offering another plum role to Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”) as Brittain. Vikander and the film take Britain, and Brittain, from idealism and hope to grim reality and regret.

The film is elegantly done, mainly because it wisely expends most of its energy on Alicia Vikander’s face.

There’s a good movie in Brittain’s story, but you wouldn’t know it from this lethargic, BBC-produced bore.

a great movie you can tell Hollywood didn't have their hands in this one no big special effects no part 1,2,3 just an enjoyable movie to watch and it effectively shows the bad about going to any wars

The lesson the WWI taught us that we shouldn't let it fade away. Kind of reminded me 'Atonement', but not a similar movie, except like you know the loved one goes to the war, serving a nurse in the army like stuffs. Actually, this one was a biopic of a young Vera Brittain that set in the England, 1914. Her wish becomes real to attend the university of Oxford, but at a same time the World War I breaks out and puts her dream to a pause while her beloved ones are fighting in the war. She fights her own way to save them and bring safely back home. For that she goes through many difficulties and by the time when war nears the end, the movie as well. I felt it was a bit lengthy, but covers everything without racing towards the end by trimming all the important portions. It was an anti-war theme. It demonstrated the struggles that everyone who linked directly to the war would go through. Like parents, fiancee, siblings, friends who send their loved ones to the war. Especially how the young generations are affected by the sudden warfare. So like the title, Vera tells the story by recalling her memories. The film won't show the battles, but only a glimpse of a few seconds for a couple of times. Alicia Vikander was at her best. She was quite impressive in the recent films of hers. I liked the filmed locations, some of the countryside landscapes were beautiful. The end scene is where it really breaks our heart, makes us to feel what Vera felt. The book which this movie was based on was a bestseller at that time, but was just a someone's story, although the world war two came. It is a good movie about a stupid war. The first major mistake by the man in the modern world, followed by another. 8/10

An honorable and intimate adaptation of Vera Brittain's wartime experiences which would forever haunt her. The film is full of both beauty and grief - a blend which is occasionally off-putting. Nevertheless, Alicia Vikander adds another notable performance in what is already sure to her a stand-out year for her.

All the Sturm & Drang of World War I seems to be presented merely to show the beautiful face of Alicia Vickander going through emotions from A to B. A rather bloodless display of a lot of Lost Generation blood.

Sorry. The acting was great, but the story so depressing and the movie moved so slowly. I wanted to love it it but couldn't. It didn't entertain me.