By John H. Foote
Legendary screen icon Sophia Loren might just be a nominee for Best Actress for her new upcoming Netflix produced film The Life Ahead, soon to be streamed. Directed by her son Edoardo Ponti, the gritty film looks to tug at heart strings in its depiction of two people at opposite ends of life who have struggled with hardship, finding peace with one another.
Loren plays a former prostitute who now takes in and cares for children born of hookers. Into her life comes a wild street urchin who steals, lies, does everything illegal to survive.
Together they forge an uneasy alliance that develops into something life affirming for both.
Loren won an Oscar for Best Actress for Two Women (1961), the first time a performance in a foreign language film won a major acting award. She has been absent from film screens for a decade, but could end up with her second Best Actress award for her work in this new picture. All eyes will be on her performance.
John H. Foote is a well-recognized Canadian film critic/historian who has been an active critic for 30 years. His deep love for the movies began at a very young age. He began his career as co-host of the popular TV show Reel to Real where he remained for nine years. While on TV he began dabbling in education, eventually ascending to Director of the Toronto Film School, where he also taught film history. After leaving the college to care for his wife, he returned to teaching at Humber College where he taught both Film History and Method Acting Theory. John has written two books: “Clint Eastwood – Evolution of a Filmmaker” and the upcoming “Spielberg – American Film Visionary”. He is currently working on two books, one about the films of the seventies and another on the films of Martin Scorsese. Through his career he has worked in TV, radio, print and the web. John has interviewed everyone in the industry (more than 300 interviews) except Jack Nicholson, he says sadly. Highlights include Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep Robert Duvall, Jane Fonda, Francis Ford Coppola and Kathryn Bigelow.
