MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 7, 2025: THERE’S STILL TOMORROW
Paola Cortellesi proves that she’s a formidable, talented triple threat with There’s Still Tomorrow. As the director, star, and co-writer of this compelling Italian dramedy — the winner of six David di Donatello Awards (the Italian equivalent of the Oscars) — she deftly blends pathos, humor, and social commentary to tell the story of Delia, a long-suffering housewife and mother who’s struggling to get by in post-World War II Rome.
Delia is on her feet from morning until night, scrambling to meet the needs of her demanding family. The household includes her harsh, abusive husband, Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea); her querulous, bigoted father-in-law, Ottorino (Giorgio Colangeli); her teenage daughter, Marcella (Romana Maggiora Vergano); and her two foul-mouthed young sons. When she’s not catering to all of their whims, Delia is hustling to bring in a little extra money for the family by doing a series of odd jobs, from doling out medicinal shots to the elderly to laundering sheets and fixing broken umbrellas.
Delia does her best to keep things on an even keel to avoid Ivano’s rage, even making excuses for him because of the trauma he experienced as a soldier in wartime. But she’s living in a constant state of fight or flight, with even the slightest infraction (from his perspective, of course) resulting in painful physical punishment. And her insistence on staying with him despite his abuse is leading to more and more scorn from her daughter, the person Delia most wants to protect. Things eventually come to a head just as Italian women are preparing to vote for the very first time.
This is some pretty heavy stuff. And Cortellesi, making her directorial debut, treats her subject matter with care and respect — but she also doesn’t let There’s Still Tomorrow drown in pathos. The scenes accompanied by contemporary music remind viewers that the film is looking at history through a modern perspective, and Cortellesi’s choice to present Ivano’s attacks on Delia in the form of dance numbers is both artistic and moving. Somehow, impressively, it doesn’t minimize the horrible way he treats her; instead, it helps poignantly illustrate the complicated feelings Delia has about her marriage and the history she and Ivano share. — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Pam Grady:A huge hit in Italy where it ruled the box office and won eight David di Donatello Awards, Paola Cortelessi’s feature directing debut is a sharply observed slice of domestic life embroidered with flourishes, particularly on the soundtrack, that lift it out of the ordinary. As the film’s star, Cortelessi is stunning as woman whose apparent acquiescence to her situation hides her steely determination to better the situation, if not for herself, at least for her children. Shot in luminous black and white to mirror the Italian neorealism of the era, There’s Still Tomorrow speaks to the toxic misogyny and its attendant violence that is as prevalent now as it was then. Read full review.
Loren King Director and star Paola Cortellesi’s There’s Still Tomorrow is her inventive and assured blend of neorealism, fantasy and darkly comedic drama to tell a powerful feminist story. Set in post-World War II Rome, the story centers on Cortellesi’s Delia as an abused wife and mother of three who not only cares for her own house and her husband’s ill tempered, bedridden father but also works as a seamstress and maid. On payday, Delia routinely tucks some of her wages into her bra before handing over the rest to her mean and domineering husband. The domestic abuse is unpleasant to watch, even if Delia imagines it as musical interludes, with the physicality of dance substituting for slaps and punches. But slowly Delia awakens to the patriarchal tyranny she is living under. Read full review.
Sherin Nicole There’s Still Tomorrow has an 80 min, slow burning fuse. Until that point, the black & white satire starring, directed, and co-written by Paola Cortellesi meticulously sets up hard times for a woman in post-WWII Rome. Along the way its tones and genres become a patchwork quilt. It’s part neorealist indictment of societal woes, part contrarian musical, and part thorny comedy. But then the fuse ignites, and we warm our hands by the blaze of a 1940s Italian woman who goes Kendrick Lamar on the people who pushed her too far—she creatively does what they told her not to. That may seem like an odd analogy, but this movie plays B.O.B. – Bombs Over Baghdad” by Outkast in a pivotal scene. Go ahead and add hip-hop to the quilt. It’s an unexpected cinematic culmination that makes the last third of this movie a fiery delight.
Leslie Combemale Director Paola Cortellesi has a way of balancing nostalgia with the blunt realities for women in post-war Italy. Railing against the patriarchy wasn’t just donning a t-shirt, it meant potentially risking life and limb. For a film about marital abuse, Cortellesi does a great job at providing moments of levity, even if dark humor is her way to lift the mood. Delia is a heroine to be reckoned with, a character who brings “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” to inspiring reality onscreen. See this film while it’s in theaters. Read full review.
Jennifer Merin There’s Still Tomorrow is a droll and marvelously inspiring Italian dramady about a totally put-upon working class wife, mother and laborer who learns to say NO to ongoing abuse and YES! to her own beliefs and needs — and a brighter future for her daughter. The action takes place in post WWII Italy, at the time when women were first allowed to vote — a monumental event that gave women unprecedented political and social power. The way the voting is presented makes you want to stand up and cheer! There’s Still Tomorrow is the creation and directorial debut of Paola Cortellesi, who directed and co-wrote the script, and also stars. As a director, Cortellesi draws on classic Italian cinema’s evocative style to intensify the film’s atmosphere and authenticity. As screenwriter, she keeps verbiage spare and let’s image convey the story. As an actress, she presents a poker face that speaks volumes about her inner feelings. And, when she laughs, her smile lights up the screen. Kudos to Cortellesi on all fronts.
Nell Minow: Paola Cortellesi’s There’s Still Tomorrow is a story of courage and resilience that explicitly transcends its period setting. While it evokes the period immediately after the end of World War II as well as the globally influential neorealism of Italy’s mid-century films, the characters and the heroine’s dilemmas are as contemporary as today’s newspaper.
Liz Whittemore In post-war Rome, Delia longs for a better life for herself and her newly engaged daughter. Feeling trapped with her grossly abusive husband, the arrival of a mysterious piece of mail changes her trajectory forever. It is no wonder the film garnered six Italian Academy awards. This genre-bending film somehow feels timeless and entirely fresh in its comedy. The hyper-stylized opening credits are jarring in the best way. You’ll feel a slow smirk develop as they roll along in all their glory. They set the stage for the magic that is There’s Still Tomorrow. There’s something about this film that is exhilarating. It has the energy of live theatre, even before the musical numbers begin. The subject of heavy subject matter, generational trauma, is perfectly balanced with laugh-out-loud dialogue. It becomes strikingly feminist, boasting unforgettable performances. You’ve never seen anything like it. There’s Still Tomorrow is inarguably one of the year’s best films.
Cate Marquis There’s Still Tomorrow is a darkly-funny film about woman caught in a hard life in post-WWII Italy, but at a time when women have won the right to vote. Shot in black-and-white and filled with in beautifully-composed shots that recall the great post-war Italian photos, early Fellini and even sometimes New Wave films, we watch as a poor woman married to a husband who abuses her, mentally and physically, struggles through her days of caring for him, her bed-ridden father-in-law, two wild sons, while carrying out a thankless round of menial part-time jobs – all with nothing but criticism at the end of the day. The one light, and help, in her life is her daughter, who seems to be on the verge of getting engaged to her boyfriend, the son of a well-off couple. But there are signs that worry the mother that her daughter may be making a mistake. The daughter is bright but her education is blocked by her father, who holds the same patriarchal views as his father and all the Italian men around them. All that sounds pretty grim but in fact, There’s Still Tomorrow is often funny, with everything told with a dark, ironic humor twist. Strange things happen, life takes sudden ironic turns, a husband’s beating turns into a dance, and there is a sense that something magical might be about to happen. There’s Still Tomorrow is actually a delight, with in its clever script, dark humor twists, its references to great Italian films and photography of the post-war period. And that bit of hope offered by the idea of these oppressed women finally get to vote.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: There’s Still Tomorrow
Director: Paola Cortellesi
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Running Time: 118 minutes
Language: Italian with English subtitles
Screenwriter: Paola Cortellesi
Lead Performers: Paola Cortellesi
Distribution Company: Greenwich Entertainment
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore
Other Movies Opening This Week
Edited by Jennifer Merin
