The Best of Youth

I won’t do Best of Youth any disservice by trying yet failing to find the right words for it but here goes. If I were given a day to live, I would ask only to see my children & wife, a sunrise, and the Best of Youth, before the end. I’d be ok to go then.

I felt 6 hours was a long time for this movie which to me was good, but not great. I mean Gone with the Wind which is a classic is only 4 hours.

Together with Heimat, the best movie.

I watched this movie on a whim one night when it was one Netflix. It entranced me so hard, I had to go and buy the movie and watch it over and over. Don't let the length of it scare you (a whopping 6 hours!), it more than needs that time, and you won't even notice how long it seems as you watch it. I love it, and recommend it to friends often.

All people are the product of their own zeitgeist - their small lives universally relatable.

A sprawling emotional epic about the intimacy of life within the political framework of a corrupt government.

6 hours may seem crazy long but strength of the characters and writing kept me entertained throughout.

Perhaps the greatest film I've ever seen.

It is difficult for me to write a review right now explaining why this is one of the best films I've ever seen while giving it the justice it has earned. The Best of Youth which was directed with perfection by Marco Tullio Giordana and stars Luigi Lo Cascio and Alessio Boni, is a grand epic that is unforgettable. Knowing little about the story and its characters I was unprepared by how the powerful soul of this beautiful film would affect me! The narrative begins in Italy with Nicola (Cascio) and Matteo Carati (Boni) who are brothers growing into adulthood during the 1960s when the country is undergoing major political change. It is a heartfelt tale that elevates itself into something more than a traditional family drama with Nicola and Matteo serving as our guides through the development of their country and family as the two progress into the 2000s. To start off I loved the script for the film that was written by Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli. Every scene, shot, and character flowed with a genuine humanity that I wish most films had. The Best of Youth is also a bildungsroman that is in tradition with Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind," that it chronicles the lives and experiences of the characters coming of age during an important political era. For example, in the beginning the brothers are separated for a time and are reunited once again in Florence during the 1966 Arno River Flood. These characters become apart of you as their story becomes your story. A viewer can look at the Carati family and immediately find a familiarity in their lives that we recognize in our own identities. As I said above, Giordana's direction is flawless as he invites us to feel the pleasures, nuances, and conflicts of his ensemble of characters. With the extraordinary photography by Roberto Forza, Giordana captures the best parts of Italy without manipulating the look and feel of the country to the point that the film's images have a documentary style. Whether the film is shooting coverage of Palermo, the Coliseum in Rome, or the beautiful island of Stromboli, Giordana captures the beauty of Italy in it's simplicity. As a result I was almost convinced that the film was covering the lives of real people. Focusing on the beautiful ensemble cast, every actor gives the best work of their career. In addition to the tender, powerful performances of Cascio and Boni, all of the women in The Best of Youth play some of the best female characters caught on screen. Jasmine Trinca is heartbreaking as the mentally vulnerable Giorgia who helps define the relationship of the two brothers. Sonia Bergamasco is enigmatic as Giulia who's twisted political views drive her away from becoming a mother to Nicola's child. A wonderful surprise is Maya Sansa as Mirella who exhibits such a genuine warmth and luminescence as the woman the two brothers eventually find love in. There was never a moment during my viewing of the film when these characters failed to hold my attention, or suspend my belief. I truly cared about them even after the last frame rolled. I could talk about The Best of Youth for days which should be enough for you to go out and see the film for yourself. It is definitely one of the great masterpieces of Italian cinema that belongs with the work of other great directors such as Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D.). It is one of my favorite films, and should be watched by anyone who can spare the six hour running time. I guarantee you will love this film as the characters become apart of your life. An emotional, powerful epic that reminds the viewer why we go to the movies in the first place.

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