The Life Ahead (2020) Movie Review
“I’m not gonna suck up to happiness. If it comes, great. If it doesn’t, who gives a shit.” This was my favorite line from The Life Ahead. It is said in a defiant voiceover by Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), a 12-year-old street kid who hasn’t known much happiness in his life. His mother is dead and his father is MIA. He’s been living with Dr. Coen (Renato Carpentieri) who is having trouble keeping an eye on him. Momo is constantly getting into trouble, like when he steals a bag containing two antique candlesticks from an older woman named Madame Rosa (Sophia Loren) at an outdoor market.
As it so happens, Madame Rosa was a street walker and helps her fellow hookers out by watching their children for them if they need time to make money or find stability. There are already a few children living with Rosa including Iosif (Iosif Diego Pirvu), who stays with her permanently and a younger child she babysits occasionally for her neighbor Lola (Abril Zamora). As it turns out, Dr. Coen and Madame Rosa are acquainted already, so when he shows up at her house with Momo and her candlesticks in tow it’s no surprise.
Dr. Coen is in over his head, and asks Rosa if she would look after Momo for a few months. She very hesitantly agrees and right away Momo causes issues. He fights with Iosif and begins selling drugs for a local distributor. The beauty of this film is the relationship between Rosa and Momo. Rosa has a difficult past and her hard nosed exterior showcases how she was able to make it through these hardships. If anyone can understand what Momo is going through it’s Rosa. After a somewhat prickly start, they begin to understand each other and build a sweet relationship.
Loren, as usual, gives a stellar performance. She slings her Italian around with a brutal force and her no nonsense attitude makes you admire Rosa even more. The young Ibrahima Gueye’s earnest face gives you a sense of Momo’s hardships and you feel for him. He has to make some hard decisions that no child should ever have to make. Gueye’s performance drives the movie forward and you find yourself invested in the story largely because of him. The Life Ahead is a short movie, so the relationship between Rosa and Momo feels a bit rushed. I would have liked to see them get to know each other a bit more, it would have made the impact of the story a little stronger. However, Loren and Gueye’s performances are compelling enough to keep you watching.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You want to see Sophia Loren back in action
2. You like Italian films
3. You like sweet stories about unlikely relationships
