Yahoo News ‘The Life Ahead:’ Sophia Loren Heats Up Best Actress Oscar Race in First Trailer
After spending a decade away from movies, Sophia Loren is back in the Italian feature, “The Life Ahead.”
The film, arriving on Netflix Nov. 13, tells the story of Madame Rosa (Loren), who takes in a 12-year-old street kid named Momo (Ibrahima Gueye) — the same child who had recently robbed her. The strangers eventually become each other’s protectors and form an unlikely bond and friendship.
In the trailer, Momo at first dreams of making his living by working as a drug dealer in the underworld of backstreets and alleyways in Bari, Italy. At first, Rosa tells her friend that Momo is “rotten to the core,” but as dynamics change between them and they start bonding, Rosa tells him, “It’s precisely when you give up hope that good things happen.”
The trailer also features original song contender “lo Si (Seen)” written by Diane Warren and performed by Italian superstar Laura Pausini.
“The song is in Italian and it’s the first time I’ve written a song for a foreign movie,” Warren told Variety. “I read the script and I was so moved by it. The movie is beautiful. What struck me was I saw the word ‘Seen’ and I thought of the characters. The boy is this criminal kid and she’s a former prostitute and they’re living on the outside. No one really sees them and through their relationship, they truly see each other and they love one another.”
Loren, who has two Academy Awards (for “Two Women” and an honorary Oscar) last appeared in 2010’s “My House Is Full of Mirrors.” Her return in a leading role is one that will pull at heartstrings, and her Oscar buzz could lead her all the way to a nomination in the competitive best actress category.
“The Life Ahead” is directed by Loren’s son Edoardo Ponti and was adapted by him and Ugo Chiti from Romain Gary’s novel “The Life Before Us.”
Watch the trailer below:
More from Variety
Middleburg Film Festival Mixes Virtual and Outdoor Screenings
Oscars' Original Song Race Heats Up With Diane Warren Contender Performed in Italian (EXCLUSIVE)
Netflix Takes Global Rights to Sophia Loren's First Feature Film in a Decade
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
