Roman scandals

Sarah Watt reviews two major titles at this year's Italian Film Festival.

- Paola Cortellesi, Alice Rohrwacher

THERE'S STILL TOMORROW

LA CHIMERA

It's tricky to categorise There's Still Tomorrow - the Italian film that on its home turf beat Barbie at the box office- and even harder to predict where its enchanting story will wind up. It's a feminist comedy-drama that occasionally verges on melodrama.

It's stunningly shot in black and white, evoking the country's postwar neorealist cinema, and stars seasoned actress Paola Cortellesi, also making her feature directing debut.

Set in 1946, it tells the story of downtrodden wife and mother of three Delia (a fantastic Cortellesi), whose miserable life revolves around serving her brutally cruel husband Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea), her selfish children and cantankerous, bedridden father-in-law.

It's clear that in her corner of working-class Rome, poor Delia has long since accepted her lot and abandoned any dreams she may have had. The family's poverty forces her to run between low-paying jobs, from fixing umbrellas to injecting meds into rich, elderly behinds.