The Best of Youth (La meglio gioventù)

95% of critics liked it

97% of users liked it

Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni
In theaters Jun 22, 2003
R, 5 hr. 58 min.

Movie Info

Cast: Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Adriana Asti, Sonia Bergamasco, Fabrizio Gifuni, Maya Sansa, Valentina Carnelutti, Jasmine Trinca, Andrea Tidona, Lidia Vitale
Director: Marco Tullio Giordana
Rated: R
Running Time: 5 hr. 58 min.
Genre: Drama, Romance, Art House & International
Theater Release: Jun 22, 2003
DVD Release: Feb 07, 2006
Synopsis: Directed by Marco Tullio Giordana and La Meglio Gioventu, this film chronicles the youth, emotional development, and milestone events in the lives of brothers Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio and Matteo Carti (Alessio Boni) between 1966 and the early 2000s. Despite being polar opposites -- Nicola is a free spirited, romantic psychiatrist; Matteo is an angst-ridden idealist and member of the Italian police force -- the brothers stay connected through the nature of life, family, and time, even during their

Critic Reviews

  • Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
    Unfolds like a novel full of characters we can't help but care about. More...
  • Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
    When the movie concludes, you can talk about these characters as if you actually know them -- which won't be far from the truth. More...
  • Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
    Few films have ever made better use of combining social and political history with romantic melodrama and suspense. More...
  • Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
    Its point is this: That every nation, like a family, is made up of many people who are often at odds with one another, but that ultimately, we are all one. More...
  • Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
    A family that seems as real as your own relatives. More...
  • John Terauds, Toronto Star
    Despite many charming elements, this movie is not an example of good storytelling. More...
  • Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
    A brilliant, sprawling piece of cinematic art, and perhaps the best film of the year. More...
  • Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
    In the end, you'll be savouring an emotion not often engendered by film: tranquillity, a calm acceptance, tinged with joy and flecked with sadness, of life's up-and-down journey. More...
  • Ty Burr, Boston Globe
    A slowly flowering miracle: an epic of normal life. More...
  • Anthony Lane, New Yorker
    The Best of Youth runs, though never dawdles, for an easy six hours, with barely a false note. More...