BWW Reviews: SOPHIA LOREN Mesmerizes Audiences at Tribeca Film Festival

Beautiful, iconic, sexy, timeless; all words which have been used to describe Sophia Loren since her film debut in 1950. With a career which spans over 60 years, like a fine wine Ms. Loren has only gotten better with time.

This year, the Tribeca Film Festival was in for a treat when director and co-writer Edoardo Ponti (son of Sophia Loren and the late director Carlo Ponti) bought his short film Voce Umano or Human Voice to the festival. The film, based on a one woman play written by French writer Jean Cocleau in 1930, is a simple story which explores a universal struggle, letting go.

Set in 1950, the film unfolds over the course of a day. The story revolves around Signora (Sophia Loren) who loses her lover to another woman. We watch as she pours her heart out to him over the telephone, one last time.

Signora, glides across her bedroom in a sheer nightgown and shawl holding the receiver, reflecting. At one point a memory causes the Signora to take a seat, hike up her gown exposing Lorens famous legs.

The production design carefully constructed by Maurizio Sabatini and the beautiful cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto evoked something reminiscent of a Cézanne painting. Yet, the detail of the film down to every last breeze goes to the skill of the director Edoardo Ponti.

There is no denying the importance of this film to Ponti as he meticulously crafts each stage of the Signora's tale. Ponti is a director free of gimmicks, he is strictly a storyteller capturing the vulnerability of this woman's story at the highest level.

There will be some laughs, especially when it comes to the Signora's phone constantly dropping calls and her yelling "Pronto!" over and over again. There will be some smiles as you see highlights from her relationship, and if you are like me, perhaps even tears.

The film ends with us looking at a black screen, then slowly the words... "Per Mia Madre" (For my mother) fade in. Human Voice is not only a film to see, but also one to feel. We can only hope that Loren and Ponti will collaborate again soon.

Human Voice will be having its final showing at the Tribeca Cinemas Theater on Sunday April 27th at 9pm. http://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/archive/53208a0ac07f5df7d2000348-human-voice

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