Film Review – Testament of Youth

Although “Testament of Youth” is based on Vera Brittain’s best-selling memoir about her time in World War I, it still feels utterly surprising. History and romance collide in this sensational drama, which manages to capture the wonders of attraction and the brutality of war without giving in to overt manipulation. Screenwriter Juliette Towhidi wisely shows restraint when necessary, but she also explores passions in an epic manner, confidently managing tragedy and fantasy as she depicts the maturation of a special young woman. Director James Kent also displays certainty, avoiding a PBS glaze of wartime events to cut straight to the needs of the heart and the expansion of the mind. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com