My Review - The Life Ahead La vita davanti a sè
My Rating 7.5 /10
In "The Life Ahead," Sophia Loren's third collaboration with son Edoardo Ponti, she plays an Italian Holocaust survivor known as Madame Rosa who takes in and eventually bonds with a Senegalese orphan, Momo (Ibrahima Gueye). Like many Netflix funded productions, it was originally intended for this film to be given a limited theatrical run a few weeks before its Netflix debut, in order to make it eligible for awards season and to generate publicity in the press. However that plan had to be abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, and the film went straight to streaming instead. This film is Sophia Loren's first acting role since 2010 the star, now 86, was looking for a personal connection to a script. Then along came her director son and the Netflix drama "The Life Ahead." This film is actually a remake of the 1977 famous French film Madame Rosa that starred Simone Signoret this time Sophia Loren is cast as Madame Rosa a retired prostitute who happens to be a Jewish holocaust survivor living in a modest apartment in the seaside Italian town of Bari in the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in southern Italy. While Sophia Loren is brilliant in the role I think the grittier black and white French film is superior. I was so impressed with Miss Loren's performance it's a brave woman who is so relaxed and confident of her talent to appear with little makeup or any of the glamorous trappings that crowned her one of the most beautiful women on earth. Sophia Loren filmed this movie (under Covid-19 restrictions between the scenes) in Italian. But, the English-dubbed version was also recorded by Loren. The interesting fact to me that her elegance and beauty till shines through even though Sophia Loren is obviously now a much older woman ,especially in this film where she plays a tired unwell ex hooker who has fostered many of the children of her working colleagues . The trauma and horrible experiences that Rosa endured during her internment during the War are obvious and haunt her still. The Senegalese orphan, Momo (Ibrahima Gueye) who also gives a wonderful performance that Madame Rosa reluctantly takes into her home has attitude plus and on a path to crime eventually realises that this crusty old lady has his best interest at heart . These are the scenes I loved in this movie the naive streetwise teen hustler versus the world weary wisdom and affection of a woman who has experienced life and survived its cruel reality. I wish I'd have seen this film in a Cinema first as I think it would be a better experience on the big screen ,hopefully one day it will be released as it was intended to be seen. Personally it's one movie I would have liked to be longer than 1:34 minutes as I wanted to know more about Madame Rosa and Momo's past life but it's Director Edoardo Ponti has done his mother proud and vice versa.l This is not one of those movies where you see a great Star coming out of retirement to make a movie then after you watch it say "Why did she do it?" Sophia Loren did this film because she's still a fine actress,
In "The Life Ahead," Sophia Loren's third collaboration with son Edoardo Ponti, she plays an Italian Holocaust survivor known as Madame Rosa who takes in and eventually bonds with a Senegalese orphan, Momo (Ibrahima Gueye). Like many Netflix funded productions, it was originally intended for this film to be given a limited theatrical run a few weeks before its Netflix debut, in order to make it eligible for awards season and to generate publicity in the press. However that plan had to be abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, and the film went straight to streaming instead. This film is Sophia Loren's first acting role since 2010 the star, now 86, was looking for a personal connection to a script. Then along came her director son and the Netflix drama "The Life Ahead." This film is actually a remake of the 1977 famous French film Madame Rosa that starred Simone Signoret this time Sophia Loren is cast as Madame Rosa a retired prostitute who happens to be a Jewish holocaust survivor living in a modest apartment in the seaside Italian town of Bari in the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in southern Italy. While Sophia Loren is brilliant in the role I think the grittier black and white French film is superior. I was so impressed with Miss Loren's performance it's a brave woman who is so relaxed and confident of her talent to appear with little makeup or any of the glamorous trappings that crowned her one of the most beautiful women on earth. Sophia Loren filmed this movie (under Covid-19 restrictions between the scenes) in Italian. But, the English-dubbed version was also recorded by Loren. The interesting fact to me that her elegance and beauty till shines through even though Sophia Loren is obviously now a much older woman ,especially in this film where she plays a tired unwell ex hooker who has fostered many of the children of her working colleagues . The trauma and horrible experiences that Rosa endured during her internment during the War are obvious and haunt her still. The Senegalese orphan, Momo (Ibrahima Gueye) who also gives a wonderful performance that Madame Rosa reluctantly takes into her home has attitude plus and on a path to crime eventually realises that this crusty old lady has his best interest at heart . These are the scenes I loved in this movie the naive streetwise teen hustler versus the world weary wisdom and affection of a woman who has experienced life and survived its cruel reality. I wish I'd have seen this film in a Cinema first as I think it would be a better experience on the big screen ,hopefully one day it will be released as it was intended to be seen. Personally it's one movie I would have liked to be longer than 1:34 minutes as I wanted to know more about Madame Rosa and Momo's past life but it's Director Edoardo Ponti has done his mother proud and vice versa.l This is not one of those movies where you see a great Star coming out of retirement to make a movie then after you watch it say "Why did she do it?" Sophia Loren did this film because she's still a fine actress,