By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Marco Tullio Giordana
Starring: Adriana Asti | Alessio Boni | Luigi Lo Cascio
Original language title: La Meglio Gioventù
Country: italy
Year: 2005
Running time: 366
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346336/combined
Chris says: “Originally produced for (but never shown on) Italian television, director Marco Tullio Giordana’s six hour miniseries has a cinematic sweep and scope makes it translate successfully as a theatrical release.
“Split into three-hour halves, the first part opens in a sun-drenched Rome in 1966. Two brothers, Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio) and Matteo (Alessio Boni) have plans to take a post-graduation trip with friends up to Northern Europe before heading off to University in the fall. However, their attempt to help Giorgia (Jasmine Trinca) a young woman wrongfully placed in an asylum, go awry, and the brothers set off on wildly divergent paths. Both undergo radical transformations: Nicola becomes a psychiatrist and something of an activist, meeting his wife Giulia (Sonia Bergamasco) during the flooding of Florence and eventually settling in Turin. Meanwhile, an increasingly troubled, taciturn Matteo joins the army and later, the police.
“As we move forward through the Turin student riots of 1974, Italy’s economic recession in the 1980s, and into the past decade, connections between seemingly disparate characters and events become apparent. There are many tragedies: deaths, abandonment, assassinations, and for more than a few characters, emotional barriers erected by an inability to express one’s self and comprehend life’s changes. Yet, through all these tense moments, Giordana’s film manages to project a warm, inviting glow. The early idealism suggested by the title gives way to a tender, yet unsentimental nostalgia. The final half hour echoes moments from the film’s first hour with resounding beauty.
“Compared to similarly lengthy, ambitious projects like Belvaux’s THE TRILOGY or even ANGELS IN AMERICA, THE BEST OF YOUTH is positively old-fashioned. There’s little particularly innovative about the structure or presentation. Still, it’s all executed magnificently, with a good cast (especially Lo Cascio and Bergamasco) and screenplay. This is a historical epic suffused with the intimacy of a family-centered drama like THE GODFATHER. Approach it like a great novel, one well worth your time and dedication. 5 cats”
Bruce says: “THE BEST OF YOUTH is an epic melodrama in the Italian tradition of Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900, Etorre Scola’s LA FAMIGLIA and Luciano Visconti’s THE LEOPARD. It’s a genre that is practically owned by the Italian cinema save a few American efforts such as George Steven’s GIANT and Francis Ford Coppola’s GODFATHERS. True, THE BEST OF YOUTH was originally made as a mini-series for television and was re-cut into a two-part film for its theatrical release. Slightly over half and hour was deleted from the original. As a feature film it holds up well.
“The backdrop for the travails of a single Italian family is a documentation of many social and political issues: the student riots of the early 70’s; the militant actions of the Marxist Red Brigade; the assassination of notorious anti-Mafia Judge, Giovanni Falcone; the catastrophic 1967 flood in Florence; the unjust treatment of mental patients; and the feminist movement.
“Chris perfectly describes the experience of THE BEST OF YOUTH when he states that it is like reading a great novel. The story is dense – crammed with plot and great character development – without getting bogged down. Essentially the story of two brothers who are close as teenagers but travel very different roads into adulthood, it also manages to chronicle the lives of their friends, siblings, parents and the women they love. This is traditional storytelling without any cinematic tricks or gimmicks. Ebullient at times, it is also deeply moving and very sad. I probably cried more during this film than all other 2005 films put together.
“Matteo, the older brother, is a brilliant student. Growing up he has a dolorous air about him. Couple that with a half-cocked disposition and the resulting angst is hardly portentous of great happiness. Nicola, while not as dazzling in the schoolroom, has a determined dedication and surefootedness that moves him through life more easily. Nicola’s bouts with despair involve his wife and his professional challenges. His extraordinary inner strength provides the glue that keeps the family together. Above all he loves the brother he once idolized.
“Director Giordano clearly loves his characters, both the good and bad. The hidden similarities and contrasts among them emerge slowly as the action unfolds. One of the most interesting and key characters is the mother played by Adriana Asti. Atypical of an Italian mother in every way, we learn her secrets and slowly learn about the similarities between mother and son. We also see the contrasts between the mother and her daughter Francesca, who takes decisive actions to protect her family from harm. Alessio Boni (Matteo) and Luigi Lo Cascio (Nicola) turn in star performances that are absolute perfection. The supporting cast is also superb, not a weak performance in the entire group.
“The soundtrack is a reflection of the times; the great cultural influence of American music slowly gives way as the film progresses. The musical choice are excellent; the Animala’ ‘Hose of the Rising Sun’; Fats Domino’s ‘Ain’t That a Shame’; the Four Top’s ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’; plus eclectic offerings by artists such as Cesaria Evore and composers such as Benjamin Britten and Bach. Like YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW, I think THE BEST OF YOUTH deserves a better, less maudlin ending. In both cases, I’m willing to overlook a relatively minor flaw. 5 cats”