Director Marco Tullio Giordana explores 40 years of Italian contemporary history through the eyes of two brothers in the epic, La Meglio Gioventu.
Free-spirited Nicola (played by Luigi Lo Cascio) travels the world and finally settles down as a psychiatrist while his introverted brother Matteo (played by Alessio Boni) becomes a policeman. Their paths and their politics cross throughout the film pushing and pulling at their relationship as Italy traverses the tumultuous years leading to the end of the 20th-century.
The great auteur Bernardo Bertolucci, you may recall, made the legendary film Novecento or "1900" in 1976. His epic followed two families living the political and social history of the early part of the century. That film starred a youthful Robert DeNiro, Dominique Sanda, Gerard Depardieu and Sterling Hayden.
Mr. Giordana also made a gripping suspense drama about the Mafia called I Cento Passi or "The Hundred Steps".
"The Best of Youth" was voted one of the Top 10 Films of 2005 by NY Times film critic, A.O. Scott.
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