Testament of Youth

This is an exeptionally well crafted movie, highly recommended. The main actress Alicia Amanda Vikander is astonishing brilliant in this gripping drama, based on the 1st W.W. memoir of Vera Brittain. Alicia Vikander is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film Awards, and I fully understand why.

Powerful, emotional and engaging World War 1 movie. I can't fault it in any of the production values. Exquisitely guided by an irresistible and magnetic performance by Alicia Vikander. I'd imagine both sides of the conflict, the young men that served, the young men that died, all would applaud the deeply felt sentiments this film nobly carries. I feel as upset as a film about this subject should make me. Highly recommend.

An incredibly beautiful and atmospheric film. The actors were able to perfectly convey the atmosphere in Britain during the First World War. But in my opinion, the most dramatic part of the movie is that it was based on real events. So, Vera Brittain, who wrote the book of the same name, lost her brother and fiancé. I definitely advise everyone to watch it.

An ethereal, poetic and enchanting examination of a world on-and-over the precipice as WWI challenges ideals, changes perceptions, warps classist structures, and reshapes a devoted and deferent generation whilst they grapple with what their lives will be in post-war Britain. I love that in all of this, VB's poetry, tenacity, and patriotism play with and against her intellect and growing pacifist beliefs. And that barely touches on the realism that shines so brilliantly. It is a deft and masterful artist who can bring such a sense of realism from such a delicate mix of emotion, terror, and turmoil. The cast and crew are incredible. To those laughable 'Top Critics' who see this purely as a chocolate-box period drama, with a magazine-friendly aesthetic, thank you for making me laugh, and for firing me up to type a more considered review than I otherwise would have!

The story is beautifully written and acted, with an amazing score. The movie really transports us to WW1, and it's easy for us to feel the characters' pain, making it a very emotional and enjoyable watch.

World War I overtaking the lives of young people. Long movie which didn't say much except war is bad because it costs lives, which is already well known.

It sometimes slips into melodrama but it is well made and acted.

Absolutely beautiful and devastating movie. Shows a very different narrative to the war and takes away the glorification. The soundtrack is as equally devastating - and yet, hopeful

After watching a Vikander period romance that I despised (Tulip Fever), I was a bit wary for this one. She gives a good performance here, but after seeing that Saoirse Ronan was up for the role I became more critical in analysing it amidst the belief that many could have done Vikander's work here to a similar or better level. Same goes for the rest of the cast. Dominic West showing up was random, as he tends to be, and Egerton, Watson, and the others all give standard performances. The plot threatens to stagnate at many points, but chugs along. I could never quite feel the chemistry between Harington and Vikander, and found their most dramatic scenes together to be slightly wooden. The unlikely tragic turns deviating from the classic period formula gains its originality from the source material, but still ironically conclude on a familiar note of desperation to present a worthwhile theme. The smugness of Tulip Fever never manifests itself here, but instead an uninteresting earnestness that provides only a marginally more enjoyable experience. The characters are not quite presented in an interesting manner as to which emotional investment would be possible, and this is the film's main downfall.

The lost generation with a female pov. Sad era, so much waste of life. Follows the book very well except her brother being left for dead. He was injured but not like the movie scene which didn't happen.