Review of Testament of Youth (2015) by Charles B — 01 Aug 2015

World War I dramas don't come along very often which is weird considering the Academy loved sprinkling Oscar gold all over WWI epics, like Best Picture winners Wings and All Quiet On The Western Front (though they outright snubbed masterpieces such as Grand Illusion and Paths of Glory). What will they make of Testament of Youth, a rare war drama that actually centers on a woman? That woman would be Vera Brittain, a young, well-off Brit whose best-selling 1933 memoir chronicled her transition from aspiring poet--she was accepted to Oxford--to battlefield nurse, a prelude to feminism who witnesses the bloody and gruesome effects of war firsthand.

Swedish talent Alicia Vikander, who was all kinds of extraordinary in this year's Ex Machina, is astonishing as Vera, playing the firecracker girl with grit and grace. Vikander takes on every challenge the role gives her from first-time feature director James Kent, screenwriter Juliette Towhidi and producer David Heyman, whose experience with the Harry Potter series imbues Testament of Youth with a brilliant Masterpiece Theatre-esque style. Vikander shines through that veneer as she winds her way through the world of men. That would be her blustering father (Dominic West), who feels a woman's place is anywhere but university or the battlefield. Her younger brother Edward (Taron Egerton) offers more understanding and support. Then there's the devoted Victor (Colin Morgan) who hopelessly moons after her. Only the romantic Roland (Kit Harington) wins her heart, because he writes poetry for her.

It's a kick to see the wonderful Harington---that's Jon Snow from Game of Thrones to you--break from the fantasy sets and portray an artist whose poet's eye is scarred by combat. Harington and Vikander provide the electricity that fuels the film and gets us through the trials and turmoil that hit with a numbing regularity. You'll leave Testament of Youth with the same gut-punch impact Brittain's book likely had at the time of its release. But you can feel everything because it's all written so beautifully across Vikander's radiant face. She's an actress worth following anywhere. Bravo.