Resistance Looks Different in Every Frame

Read Time:4 Minute, 21 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
There's Still Tomorrow (C'è ancora domani) (DVD)
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Genre: Drama, Comedy, History
Year Released: 2023 Kino Lorber DVD 2025
Runtime: 1h 58m
Director(s): Paola Cortellesi
Writer(s): Furio Andreotti, Giulia Calenda, Paola Cortellesi
Cast: Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea, Emanuela Fanelli, Romana Maggiora Vergano
Where to Watch: Available April 8, 2025. Pre-order your copy here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Few debuts land with this kind of purpose. From its first moments, THERE’S STILL TOMORROW declares itself a work that knows exactly what it wants to be and how to say it. On the surface, it’s a post-war character study about a woman trapped in an oppressive world—but at its core, it’s a defiant character drama with a spark of rebellion, guided by a confident directorial hand and a strong sense of visual storytelling.

Set in a meticulously recreated 1946 Rome, the film follows Delia, played by Paola Cortellesi, who also directs. Delia’s days are controlled by routine and submission, caught in the shadows of a patriarchal structure enforced by her overbearing husband, Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea). His presence lingers like a weight in every scene, asserting dominance over his wife, children, and even his bitter, patriarchal father. Through threats and volatility, Ivano holds his household hostage under the guise of tradition and duty.

The film's structure is refreshingly straightforward but executed with flair. The story threads its message through lived-in moments and small, personal revelations without turning to melodrama. The arrival of an unassuming letter becomes the tipping point for Delia—an external force that prompts internal reckoning. Instead of using exposition to drive change, the film lets resistance unfold. It's a slow build with deliberate choices; they feel earned when those choices pay off.

Cortellesi’s turn behind the camera leans heavily into visual syntax that recalls Italian neorealism while inserting contemporary stylization. The decision to shoot in black and white isn’t a gimmick; it reinforces the emotional palette and roots the narrative in a time when social transformation barely emerged.

Music plays an unexpected but welcome role. Cortellesi doesn’t confine herself to period-accurate sounds. Instead, she incorporates unexpected tracks that shatter the illusion of time in favor of emotional impact. These choices feel designed to jolt the audience and link Delia’s story to a historical moment and a pattern still existing.

Performance-wise, the cast is in total sync with the material. Cortellesi gives herself a role that demands restraint and wisely avoids overplaying the part. Delia’s strength isn’t showy; it creeps in scene by scene until you realize she’s not the person you met in the first act. Mastandrea's portrayal of Ivano walks a careful line. He’s oppressive and repellent, yet never turned into a caricature. His scenes are hard to watch because they feel uncomfortably familiar, echoing generational attitudes that still haven’t been fully uprooted.

Romana Maggiora Vergano brings a subtle layer to Marcella, the daughter whose engagement is meant to be the family’s hopeful turning point. Her storyline could have felt secondary, but the film uses her as a mirror and a contrast to Delia’s path. She represents what could change or stay the same, depending on the choices.

This filmmaker has something to say—and more importantly, knows how to say it. Cortellesi takes the director’s chair with confidence, vision, and a willingness to take creative risks. She sidesteps sentimentality, instead crafting a story that embraces complexity without losing accessibility. It’s serious but not humorless, stylish but not flashy, and political but never preachy.

THERE’S STILL TOMORROW might be set in the past, but its impact lands right now. This film understands how change often begins in the smallest gestures and the quietest acts of resistance, and that’s exactly what gives it staying power.

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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