Both in cinema and in real life, the protagonists of The Life Ahead are very different with regard to age and fame. However, this difference is practically impossible to notice in relation to the quality of the excellent performance of each of the two.
Inspired by a novel written by Romain Gary, entitled "Life ahead," the work is the second film adaptation of the book and the first interpretation of actress Sophia Loren in many years.
Sophia Loren is a renowned Italian actress, winner of an Oscar award for her career rich in memorable performances. The movie star plays Madame Rosa, an elderly woman who worked in prostitution to support herself, and now, in her own home, takes care of the children of other women who have no one to leave their children with.
In addition to this long and already difficult journey, Madame Rosa faced, in her youth, one of the greatest crimes committed against humanity, the Holocaust.
As a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, Madame Rosa has little prejudice in her life. Even so, at the beginning, he is very reluctant to promise to accept Momo's stay, played by the young Ibrahima Gueye.
Ibrahima is a newcomer in cinematographic productions, however, possessing an enormous charisma worthy of those who are already professionals in the field. In the role of Momo, a young Muslim refugee from Senegal who lives in the streets of Italy, the boy is under the care of a doctor unable to continue welcoming him.
After stealing and pushing the lady, Madame Rosa, young Momo has no idea that Dr. Cohen, the doctor who welcomes him, will successfully try to convince the young man while a new shelter and guardians are sought.
In a promise moved to financial compensation for the boy's care, Dr. Cohen signs Madame Rosa's acceptance of the services.
In this abrupt union of such divergent figures is the focus, the positive and negative points of the script.
In a work on the difficult and progressive relationship between an energetic street boy and an elderly Holocaust survivor, the production places little emphasis on each of these themes. In a single moment of the plot, exciting details, however, shallow details of the horror faced by Madame Rosa are exposed, and Momo, at that moment, does not seem to even know what the period is about.
Still having as main objective the creation of affinity and bonds of affection between the two figures, the development of the scenes did not contribute enough to subtly reinforce this difficult task between the characters. In 1 hour and 34 minutes, the film seems to run or be edited in such a way that, in one scene, the disaffection between the protagonists is expressive, and in the next, a forced relationship of empathy and acceptance emerges uniting the characters.
This brief cinematic cliché reduces what could be an excellent production. However, it does not reduce it enough to prevent us from feeling and sympathizing with the situation of those involved.
With deteriorations in Madame Rosa's state of health, the sad pact sealed between the new friends leads to striking and unusual journeys for the fulfillment of the promise and the attempt to keep the life and affection experienced by both of them permanent.
The Life Ahead fail to converge in a natural way for the beginning of the friendship between their very different characters, but it does not fail to do so in the continuity of the development of this relationship. In the same way, this beautiful production fails much less in the elegant and charismatic air of its interpretations, if not to say that it is impeccable in that fact.
Inspired by a novel written by Romain Gary, entitled "Life ahead," the work is the second film adaptation of the book and the first interpretation of actress Sophia Loren in many years.
Sophia Loren is a renowned Italian actress, winner of an Oscar award for her career rich in memorable performances. The movie star plays Madame Rosa, an elderly woman who worked in prostitution to support herself, and now, in her own home, takes care of the children of other women who have no one to leave their children with.
In addition to this long and already difficult journey, Madame Rosa faced, in her youth, one of the greatest crimes committed against humanity, the Holocaust.
As a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, Madame Rosa has little prejudice in her life. Even so, at the beginning, he is very reluctant to promise to accept Momo's stay, played by the young Ibrahima Gueye.
Ibrahima is a newcomer in cinematographic productions, however, possessing an enormous charisma worthy of those who are already professionals in the field. In the role of Momo, a young Muslim refugee from Senegal who lives in the streets of Italy, the boy is under the care of a doctor unable to continue welcoming him.
After stealing and pushing the lady, Madame Rosa, young Momo has no idea that Dr. Cohen, the doctor who welcomes him, will successfully try to convince the young man while a new shelter and guardians are sought.
In a promise moved to financial compensation for the boy's care, Dr. Cohen signs Madame Rosa's acceptance of the services.
In this abrupt union of such divergent figures is the focus, the positive and negative points of the script.
In a work on the difficult and progressive relationship between an energetic street boy and an elderly Holocaust survivor, the production places little emphasis on each of these themes. In a single moment of the plot, exciting details, however, shallow details of the horror faced by Madame Rosa are exposed, and Momo, at that moment, does not seem to even know what the period is about.
Still having as main objective the creation of affinity and bonds of affection between the two figures, the development of the scenes did not contribute enough to subtly reinforce this difficult task between the characters. In 1 hour and 34 minutes, the film seems to run or be edited in such a way that, in one scene, the disaffection between the protagonists is expressive, and in the next, a forced relationship of empathy and acceptance emerges uniting the characters.
This brief cinematic cliché reduces what could be an excellent production. However, it does not reduce it enough to prevent us from feeling and sympathizing with the situation of those involved.
With deteriorations in Madame Rosa's state of health, the sad pact sealed between the new friends leads to striking and unusual journeys for the fulfillment of the promise and the attempt to keep the life and affection experienced by both of them permanent.
The Life Ahead fail to converge in a natural way for the beginning of the friendship between their very different characters, but it does not fail to do so in the continuity of the development of this relationship. In the same way, this beautiful production fails much less in the elegant and charismatic air of its interpretations, if not to say that it is impeccable in that fact.