THE LIFE AHEAD

Review: In seaside Italy, an aging Holocaust survivor with a day care business takes in a 12-year-old immigrant from Senegal who recently robbed her.
Director: Edoardo Ponti
Actors: Sophia Loren, Ibrahima Gueye, Renato Carpentieri and Babak Karimi
Year: 2020
Genre: Drama
Conclusion: 4/5
The original title of this film is La vita davanti a sé. Directed by Sophia Loren’s own son, Edoardo Ponti. This is in fact her third film under the direction of her son. A fantastic performance from Sophia Loren. I was amazed at her performance, not only because she is 86 years old but because she is still an outstanding screen presence. I almost got the feeling that this film was written for her. If she was to be nominated for an award for her performance she would be the oldest ever contender for best actress. Ibrahima Gueye also gives an outstanding performance. This film is adapted from a novel by Romain Gary with the title name “The Life Before Us”. It is also a remake of the Oscar Winner in Foreign Language MADAME ROSA (1977). This film combines the story of the Holocaust with the story of migrants. At the Golden Globe Awards in 2021 this won for Best Original Song – Motion Picture.