The Life Ahead (2020)

With veiled meanings, stories not entirely explained on purpose, but brought to light with ingenuity, so The Life Ahead manages to establish itself as one of the best films by Edoardo Ponti and the glorious Sophia Loren, son and mother. For anyone who knows Sophia Loren (impossible), they know that she's a guarantee and a pleasure to see on screen; woman with a unique charisma, the representation of a Naples that was, representation of the diva and the humble, woman of the people and of the dreamers, art made woman, cinema made woman, once again manages to enchant in her so simple speeches, but so effective. Ibrahima Gueye, an amazing revelation, who manages, despite his debut, to act as a coachman for a tough film (by theme) to carry on. A motivated, incisive and clear Edoardo Ponti, with a warm and simple direction (not always in-depth and scrupulous), but perfect for representing a story of depth, thus bringing life not only to the story, but giving images to a novel that is already spectacular in itself.

Fmovies: This film hit Netflix lately and I have now watched the Italian film The Life Ahead and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a Holocaust survivor take in a 12 year old boy who robbed her.

Main Character Sophia Loren is a legend of the film business, with almost 100 credits to her name in a 70 year long career and this is her first project in 6 years and she is really good here. Her character is strong and has so much heart to her, her story arc is really emotional and you see why she looks after this child due to her own personal grief. You will care about her character and you will care about her and the story she has with the young boy Mo.

Supporting Cast This film doesn't have a very big cast but everybody does good jobs in their small roles, but the standout is 12 year old boy Ibrahima Gueye who plays Mo and is a great young performance. You see how him and Loren need each other and how both of them coming into each others lives really affects them and makes them both better people and they do a great job of conveying that.

Story The story is a nice tale about how two completely different people can come into each others lives and affect it to make them both better and it achieves it well enough. It is a heart-warming tale that does its job well, but I mean it doesn't do that much to really stand out and push to the next level, it is a nice film but not a story that will stick with you for a long time.

Script The script is fine, some nice dramatic moments and nice charming bits of dialogue but similar to the plot, none of it will be very memorable and stand out but a nice enough written film.

Style The style does an effective job in showing the relationship between the two leading characters and using there time pretty effectively as it is only 90 mins long. But then maybe we could have done with a bit more time to have some elements of the story expanded and make us truly care but it doesn't.

Overall Overall, this is a pretty simple film to review, it is just a nice charming film that won't exactly stick with you. If you have ninety minutes and are fine with subtitles then The Life Ahead is worth a watch at some point.

I checked on this movie after reading an article on NYT about Ms. Sophia Loren - an exemplary actress. I wasn't prepared for how emotional this movie will make me. I bawled several times while watching and it actually made me contemplate my latter years. Phenomenal acting by all (Madam Rosa, Momo, Lola ). I'll remember this movie for years to come. Please watch it in Italian then subtitle in your language . You won't regret it !!

The Life Ahead fmovies. An old ill ex prostitute and holocaust survivor after several dramatic situations bond with a young orphan immigrant whose present is poied between loneliness and delinquency. Doesn't it seems too much? Yes and it really is. Too much for one movie and definitely too much for Edoardo Ponti to handle. His direction struggles to deal with this amount of themes and it eventually shows his inexperience. Every character is artificial, every dialog is contrived and every scenes is forced, pushed harder and harder trying, almost desperately, to move the audience, to manipulate their emotions. Yes manipulate, Ponti doesn't try to move with his ability to direct and shoot but by dramatic situations stacked one above the other and hastily connected, by a rigid editing, exploiting the reality behind them. Even the acting, even Sophia Loren's (and this really hurts to say), are mediocre.

It was an indescribable joy to watch the great star who became more and more beautiful like wine over the years. I just revere...

The Life Ahead will capture your heart while modeling what an ideal world would look like if we could all understand each other and get along.

What better way to show your mother love than to direct her in likely her final film performance,. The Life Ahead IMHO is her most befitting role as Earth Mother. Sophia Loren is so beautifully moving and astounding in a role that was created back in 1978's French film Madame Rosa with the legendary Simone Signoret. Signoret's interpretation of Rosa earned her accolades across the world's film communities.

It being 2020 the year of COVID, and the festival circuits are either virtual or all together cancelled, the star spotlight will be very different for actors whom deserve to shine. With this film it is truly tragic that the film community will miss out on the stunning presence of Miss Loren. At 86 Miss Loren is not the true lead in the film, but it is Ibrahima Gueye, who at 14 whom plays a street tough whom Rosa takes into her care. These two performances make a very simple film into a fitting tribute to love and the resiliency of the two leads characters.

I will say if the Academy was truly worthy of its accolades after giving Parasite the best film honors, it will honor both stars with statuettes come this winter in Hollywood. Loren is truly spectacular to behold as a once great beauty and the "mother" and "caretaker" of the children of the women of the night, as she slowly succumbs to the ravages of dementia. In her scenes of her withdraws Lorens facial expressions and those eyes tell of a back story we only can imagine from her faded numbers on her left forearm. With the arrival of Momo ( Gueye) Rosa's life begins to become more fulfilling again, and the two start off as adversaries, and the end their love is truly etched in each other's hearts.

NETFLIX has possibly one of the contentions for this years Best Picture Nominations with this ( as well as Mank) and hopefully a son's gift of Oscar to Miss Loren's heartbreaking performance that will easily be compared to her first Oscar win in Two Women. It may be an Oscar win as well for 14 year old Gueye in a magnificent turn as the street tough Momo who allows the kindness of Rosa to value his life ahead.