This Sophia Loren Netflix Movie Just Reached Their Top 10 List in Record Time

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Published Nov 17, 2020

It seems like every time we sign into our Netflix account, another movie or series has managed to slide into one of their top ranked slots. New to today’s top ten? Sophia Loren’s latest film, The Life Ahead.

The brand-new film, currently streaming on the platform, is about Madame Rosa (Loren), a Holocaust survivor, who babysits the children of sex workers (her old profession) in her small Italian town. At the center of the story is her bond with one of the children, a young boy named Momo.

At the start of the relationship, the orphaned child snatches Rosa’s bag, only to be forced to return it and apologize. Watch the full trailer below.

While the drama may seem like it could be based on a true story, it’s actually not. The Life Ahead is an adaptation of the 1975 French novel “La vie devant soi,” (“The Life Before Us”) by author Romain Gary. However, the main difference between the two is the book is set in France, while the film takes place in Italy. And did we point out the movie is directed by Loren's son Edoardo Ponti?

The official synopsis reads, “In seaside Italy, a Holocaust survivor with a daycare business, Madame Rosa (Loren), takes in 12-year-old street kid Momo, the boy who recently robbed her. The two loners become each other’s protectors, anchoring an unconventional family.”

According to The Guardian, Loren’s performance may have her in the running for Best Actress at the 2021 Oscars. If true, the 86-year-old could become the Academy’s oldest Best Actress nominee (and also break Henry Fonda’s record for the longest gap between acting nominations). Along with Loren, the film also stars newcomer Ibrahima Gueye, Renato Carpentieri, Francesco Cassano and Babak Karimi.

Oh, and another thing worth mentioning? The entire film is in Italian, so subtitles are bound to be your new best friend.

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Alexandra Hough

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