If you are a fan of British movies then Testament of Youth is one that is not to be missed when it hits the big screen later this month - and it kicks off what is set to be another terrific year for British movies.
Testament of Youth
Testament of Youth is a big screen adaptation of the First World War memoir of the same name by Vera Brittain, and sees James Kent back in the director's chair. Kent is best known for his television work with the likes of The Thirteenth Tale, The White Queen, and Inside Men under his belt, and The Testament of Youth will mark his big screen feature film directorial debut.
In the last couple of years, Alicia Vikander and Kit Harington have started to make a real name for themselves on both the big and the small screen, and Testament of Youth will see them team up for the first time in what looks set to be a very exciting acting partnership.
Vikander will take on the central role of Vera Brittain - on whose memoir the movie is based - while Harington will play Roland Leighton, a solider who fought during the First World War and was the fiancé of Brittain.
Vikander has been making her name in movies such as The Royal Affair, Anna Karenina, and The Fifth Estate in recent years, and we are also going to be seeing her in Son of a Gun, Seventh Son, Ex Machina, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in 2015 - it really is set to be a very busy 2015 for the actress.
Harington's big screen filmography will also continue to grow this year with Seventh Son and Spooks: The Great Good set to hit the big screen. He will also return to television as he reprises the role of Jon Snow in the new series of Game of Thrones.
As if Vikander and Harington on the same cast list was not exciting enough, the pair are joined by Hayley Atwell, Dominic West, Emily Watson, Taron Egerton, Miranda Richardson, Colin Morgan, and Anna Chancellor. It really is a who is who of great British acting talent and I am excited to see them all in action in this piece of historic drama.
Testament of Youth is a powerful story of love, war, and remembrance, based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, which has become the classic testimony of that war from a woman's point of view.
A searing journey from youthful hopes and dreams to the edge of despair and back again, it's a film about young love, the futility of war and how to make sense of the darkest times.
Testament of Youth has already started to win over the critics - Vikander's central performance in particular has gained a lot of praise - and I can't wait to see this very talented cast in action as they tell a very poignant story.
The release of Testament of Youth comes as we continue to commemorate the First World War and those who served and died in the conflict. This true story looks set to be something that is not to be missed.
