‘There’s Still Tomorrow’ Review:
The award-winning Italian film about domestic abuse features a powerful performance by Paola Cortellesi

By Joe Friar, Fort Worth Report
March 10, 2025 12:03 pm

At times, “There’s Still Tomorrow,” with its striking black-and-white cinematography, resembles many romance films from the 1940s. Director and star Paola Cortellesi evokes a starlet from that era, reminiscent of Bergman, Fontaine, and Tierney.

However, the film, which won six David di Donatello Awards (Italy’s equivalent of the Oscar), lacks one critical ingredient—love. Instead of Bogart or Olivier, it features abusive men in the postwar drama steeped in Neorealism. It’s quirky, at times funny, and, above all, powerful.

“There’s Still Tomorrow” marks Cortellesi’s directorial debut. The Roman writer, actor, and comedian cast herself in the lead role of Delia, a housewife trapped in an abusive marriage who dreams of a better life. She based the character on the stories of everyday people told by her grandmothers of life in a patriarchal society. A man striking a woman to “keep her in line” was a part of daily life back then—those scenes are grueling to watch. But the film offers hope as the dawn of a new era appears above the horizon. Delia becomes a catalyst for a movement to empower women.


Image:Greenwich Entertainment

Fans of Italian cinema may recognize the similarities between “Tomorrow” and the Pink Neorealism genre of the 1950s, which combined comedy and romance to offset the bleak storyline. Examples include “Pane, amore e fantasia,” starring Gina Lollobrigida, and Mario Bonnard’s “The Peddler and the Lady.” Of course, Federico Fellini is an obvious influence.

To set a nostalgic mood, Cortellesi begins the film in the boxy 4:3 aspect ratio standard in cinema of the neorealism movement. As Fiorella Bini’s jubilant “Aprite le finestre” is heard during the opening scene, the whimsical number evokes images of Disney’s animated bluebirds. We’re introduced to Delia and her family, husband Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea), adolescent sons Sergio (Mattia Baldo) and Franchino (Gianmarco Filippini), and teenage daughter Marcella (Romana Maggiora Vergano). There’s also bedridden father-in-law Ottorino (Giorgio Colangeli).

You can guess where the story is going in just a few minutes. The first thing Ivano says to Delia, “What’s in that empty head?” is followed by a raised hand as he threatens to strike her because the crapper’s chain is broken. He uses violence to gain power over his wife. It’s tense and uncomfortable to watch. The domestic abuse is caused by generational trauma; Ottorino drops F-bombs while yelling at Delia and banging his cane to get her attention. In a late scene, he tells his son Ivano that it’s OK to hit a woman occasionally to keep her in line. The sons are foul-mouthed hellions, laying a path to follow in their father’s footsteps.

The only love in Delia’s life comes from the close relationship she shares with her daughter, Marcella. Vergano and Cortellesi are excellent, portraying scenes that provide hope for Delia and Marcella, though she is unaware. Her mother recognizes the risk of the cycle of abuse continuing with her daughter’s fiancé, prompting her to take action.

There’s also a defiant tone simmering in the background. It begins with “Calvin” by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The track blasts as Delia walks, head held high, down the sidewalk; the stride becomes aggressive as Cortellesi enhances the scene with slow motion while expanding the frame to 1:85.1. It’s not the only interesting needle drop. In the third act, the filmmaker uses “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” by Outkast to add to the tension as Delia runs away—no slow motion here.

The modern songs, monochrome style, and quirky moments—a violent outburst turns into a song and dance routine—give the film a Greta Gerwig aesthetic, an Italian “Frances Ha.” The comedy feels a bit awkward, considering the dark storyline, but it also balances the film, reminding us that we are watching a form of pink neorealism, which means there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Other signs of optimism include a kind Black American G.I. ( Yonv Joseph) who befriends Delia despite their language barrier and Nino, a mechanic in love with our protagonist. Not all men are jerks in the story, just most of them.

“There’s Still Tomorrow” is a nostalgic trip to the yesteryears of Italian Cinema. Paola Cortellesi’s powerful performance grounds the actor’s directorial debut, which, despite a few minor tone adjustments (primarily affecting U.S. audiences), is refreshing and honest. Che bello!

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Joe Friar

Member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA), the Houston Film Critics Society, and a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic. More by Joe Friar