‘The Life Ahead’ Review Illustrates a Realistic but Directionless Life Ahead

The transition from childhood to adolescence is a difficult one, filled with inner and interpersonal strife. The uncertain struggle to discover one’s own place and purpose in life constitutes much of this conflict, as depicted in many coming-of-age films. Likewise, “The Life Ahead,” which is now available on Netflix, speaks to the story of a troubled, immigrant boy grappling with his own life trajectory and desire to be accepted in Italian society. However, despite nuanced characters and a well-woven plot, "The Life Ahead" feels like it's missing a dimension of insight into the personality and inner thoughts of its protagonist.

Momo (Ibrahima Gueye) is a young Senegalese immigrant living in a scenic Italian coastal city. Orphaned at a young age, he is left in the care of a local doctor, Dr. Coen (Renato Carpentieri), but is forced to turn to the streets after his guardian can’t devote enough time to raise him. Instead, Momo finds a father figure in a drug dealer who treats him with respect and takes Momo under his wing. Seeing that Momo’s life is heading in the wrong direction, Dr. Coen sets him up to live temporarily with Madame Rosa (Sophia Loren), a Holocaust survivor. Both oppose the arrangement at first but inevitably share several heart-felt moments over the course of the film. Madame Rosa is a strong-willed woman who, like Momo, is reluctant to let people in, and their unlikely blossoming connection speaks to the innate human need for love and acceptance.

The film’s raw surges of sentimentality and moments of loss and personal anguish convey a liveliness that bursts through the screen. This is most powerful in a scene where Madame Rosa and her friend Lola (Abril Zamora) start dancing in a sunlit room. They celebrate amidst intermittent periods of grief and emptiness, illustrating the complex and intimate relationship between joy and hardship.

The unity of emotional experience is one of the film’s most resonant aspects; each of the characters come from different backgrounds and walks of life, yet many of their struggles are one and the same. However, the film fails to give real emotional insight into these struggles, and the audience gets only a glimpse of the characters’ true depths. Momo starts out on a self-destructive pathway as a drug dealer, but suddenly gives up this lifestyle without actual insight into his decision. Any evidence of the reasoning behind this impulsive decision would have given it greater significance in Momo’s character development and the overall trajectory of the story. Although Momo’s feelings can often be perceived without much interior narrative, some of his emotional considerations can only be guessed at best.

Given its ambiguous name, it seems appropriate for “The Life Ahead” to more concretely articulate the meaning of its title to the audience. Nevertheless, “The Life Ahead” is still a breathtaking work of art that can be admired for its emotionality and realistic perspective. Its message of inner peace and unity of feeling can be applied across languages and time frames, especially in our current situation, as we hope for brighter days along the horizon.

—Staff writer Angelina V. Shoemaker can be reached at angelina.shoemaker@thecrimson.com.