Feminist message results in a better ‘Tomorrow’
There’s a lot of Fellini in rookie director Paola Cortellesi. There’s also a tremendous amount of anger about a culture that sanctioned the appalling treatment of Italian women around the time Fellini began constructing his 1954 masterpiece “La Strada.” And what better way to meld these two passionate qualities than by making her own “La Strada” in the form of “There’s Still Tomorrow,” a neorealistic tribute to the wives and mothers who endured the terror visited upon them by brutish men such as Anthony Quinn’s despicable lout, Zampanò.
Like “La Strada,” Cortellesi shoots “There’s Still Tomorrow” in evocative black and white, enriching a film that’s a daring mix of escapist whimsy and unsparing domestic violence. She also serves as this film’s Gelsomina, a woman hopelessly trapped by circumstances seemingly beyond her control. But unlike Gelsomina, a better fate may await Cortellesi’s Delia, if she can part with the one thing tethering her to the moronic Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea) – their teenage daughter, Marcella (Romana Maggiora Vergano).
Before fleeing her prison, Delia must first be assured that Marcella doesn’t get ensnared in the same trap set by Ivano, who was tender and caring while courting Delia but evolved into a monster once they said, “I do.” Marcella’s handsome, nouveau riche amore, Giulio (Francesco Centorame), exhibits no signs of violent tendencies … so far. And what about Giulio’s parents, profiteers who amassed a fortune ratting out resisters to the Nazis during the war? What do their questionable morals say about Giulio’s character?
As they say, all will be revealed in the end when Cortellesi reveals her brilliantly devised twist, one that is as inspiring as it is emotionally stirring. It marks not just a turning point in Delia’s life but for all Italian women going forward, including Marcella. But getting there won’t be easy, as we come to learn by observing Delia’s daily routine performing odd jobs to supplement Ivano’s meager salary, as well as sustaining a near-constant bombardment of physical blows and verbal insults hurled by her lug of a husband and his equally repugnant father, the cantankerous, bedridden Ottorino (Giorgio Colangeli).
The horror of the assaults is compounded by Ivano’s imposing physical dominance over the slender Delia, again analogous to Giulietta Masina being dwarfed by a hulking Quinn in “La Strada.” But there’s no Il Matto (Richard Basehart) attempting to rescue her. As close as this movie gets to that are a couple of encounters Delia has with her unattached high school sweetheart, Nino (Vinicio Marchioni), an auto mechanic about to depart Rome. He’d love for Delia to accompany him, but will she? And is that secretive letter Delia hastily tosses in the trash authored by him?
Yes, mystery is a key part of the intrigue Cortellesi builds in a script she co-wrote with Furio Andreotti and Giulia Calenda. In addition to the riddle of who sent the letter, we’re also captivated by what Delia has planned for the money she’s been skimming from her jobs as a seamstress and home aide. Even Delia’s best friend and source of unwavering support, Marisa (Emanuela Fanelli), has no idea about her pal’s scheme, other than it’s being implemented that Sunday – or possibly Monday, as the movie’s title suggests.
To that end, Cortellesi presents no shortage of obstacles for Delia to navigate on the road to emancipation. Can this woman ever catch a break? Her character’s reactions are charmingly Chaplinesque, as she’s continually kept on her toes by the unpredictability of life. The only certainties in her mundane existence are the unceasing potty mouths of her two young sons and Ivano’s regular attacks, followed by the same perfunctory apologies.
It’s all very inventive and unexpectedly entertaining, which may explain why the film took home six trophies from the Italian equivalent of the Academy Awards. Voters were as enchanted as you’re likely to be by a film that takes some bold steps, including employing song and dance during its graphic depictions of spousal abuse. The incongruity is shocking at first, but ultimately, there’s a strange harmony that develops.
What shocks you even more is the prevalence of such behavior in post-war Rome and an attitude of acceptance of this debasement as just a part of wedlock. Thank God, times have changed. Or, have they? It’s a compelling question that Cortellesi hauntingly leaves us to ponder.
Movie review
There’s Still Tomorrow
Rated: Not rated
Cast: Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Emanuela Fanelli, Vinicio Marchioni
Director: Paola Cortellesi
Writers: Paola Cortellesi, Furio Andreotti and Giulia Calenda
Runtime: 118 minutes
Where: In theaters March 7 before streaming April 8
Grade: B+
