---
title: "The Best of Youth: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-best-of-youth/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-best-of-youth"
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Best of Youth (2003): what the critics said

Critics' score 84 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics find The Best of Youth absorbing and moving, with its long span sustained by close attention to family life. Praise centres on the ensemble, particularly Luigi Lo Cascio’s naturalistic performance, and on Giordana’s restrained direction. The reviews repeatedly describe a drama that remains intimate while connecting private lives to Italian history. Its length is generally treated as time well spent, with the screenplay drawing praise for handling politics and family conflict without forcing melodrama.

The reservations are limited rather than widespread. The AV Club notes sentimental missteps and modest thematic reach, while still finding the film satisfying. Time Out’s praise applies only to the first instalment, which limits its assessment of the whole. The recorded scores lean strongly positive, with one mixed response, but The New York Times review text is inaccessible, so its reasons for dissent cannot be established.

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Rating 4/4. 13 June 2004. 

Gonzalez regards the film as a riveting, deeply human epic. He praises Giordana’s close-ups and the way historical settings connect the characters’ personal lives to Italy’s past.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-best-of-youth/)

## Empire — David Parkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Parkinson finds the sprawling drama a monumental, moving achievement that remains intimate and involving. He especially praises its measured screenplay, which handles political themes and family conflicts without forcing them into melodrama.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/best-youth-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2005. 

Turan calls the film an exceptional, engrossing epic and urges readers to make time for it. He praises its strong performances and Giordana’s restrained, respectful direction, which make its decades-spanning family story feel real.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-18-et-youth18-story.html)

## Variety — Scott Foundas

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2003. Festival review. 

Foundas praises the film as an emotionally absorbing epic that sustains its long span without overstaying its welcome. He singles out Luigi Lo Cascio’s richly textured, naturalistic performance as a particular strength.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/the-best-of-youth-2-1117920985/)

## The AV Club — Scott Tobias

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2005. 

The critic finds the sprawling film engrossing and ultimately satisfying, despite some sentimental missteps and modest thematic reach. He particularly praises its vivid ensemble and its intimate portrait of a family across decades.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-best-of-youth-1798200552)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2004. 

Bradshaw finds the six-hour epic satisfying, heartfelt and surprisingly brisk. He especially praises Luigi Lo Cascio’s intimate performance and the film’s generous scope.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,4267,1251522,00.html)

## Time Out

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review describes the first installment as a very fine drama that succeeds beyond its television origins. It especially praises how well it works as a theatrical experience.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-best-of-youth-part-1)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2003. Festival review. 

The page identifies a film-festival review of the matching film, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/11/movies/film-festival-review-in-two-brothers-lives-a-portrait-of-italy.html)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-best-of-youth.md