Film - The Life Ahead

Madame Rosa (Sophia Loren) is a holocaust survivor who, in her twilight years, still takes in children who have nowhere else to go. He is asked to look after Momo (Mohamed) a young orphan, having been touched by violence in his native Senegal, couldn’t lie or hold back his feelings if you asked him to. Used to having to make his own decisions from such a tender age, he turns to drug running although turns up for work with the local retailer Rosa has set up for him. 

This is a tight night Italian community and Rosa, a former prostitute herself also babysits kids for the local ladies while they work and is best friends with Lola. I love how everyone looks out for each other and this quickly rubs off on Momo, despite his couldn’t-care-less demeanour. Pretty soon, Rosa is the closed thing to a mum he has known.

It reminds me a little of Bad Seeds which I loved too. I don’t normally comment on performance but, it is stunning from the kid and, the veteran, perhaps unsurprisingly as this is directed by Ms Loren’s son.

8/10

Netflix