La Vie Devant Soi (Madame Rosa) (A Life Ahead) (1977)

83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
79% of users liked it
(415 ratings)

Madame Rosa (Simone Signoret) is an aging former prostitute who, in her dotage, makes a living by caring for the children of other prostitutes in Paris' Arab community. Haunted by memories of her experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, Rosa is seized with the notion that the Gestapo is still after… More Madame Rosa (Simone Signoret) is an aging former prostitute who, in her dotage, makes a living by caring for the children of other prostitutes in Paris' Arab community. Haunted by memories of her experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, Rosa is seized with the notion that the Gestapo is still after her. She thus begs one of her young charges (Samy Ben Youb) not to give away her "hiding place." Madame Rosa was based on Momo, a novel by one Emile Ajar (better known as Romaine Gary). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Moshé Mizrahi
Written By: Moshé Mizrahi, Romain Gary
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 19, 1978 Wide

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
This melodrama, which won Foreign Language Oscar, about an aging prostitute taking care of children, is mediocre, but Simone Signoret gives a dominant, utterly compelling performance.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Signoret is absolutely wonderful.
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Mawkish as hell, but Signoret redeems much of it.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A fine film celebrating the beauty of the human spirit.

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Cast

Simone Signoret
as Mme. Rosa
Claude Dauphin
as Dr. Katz
Sammy Ben Youb
as Momo

Gabriel Jabbour
as Hamil
Michael Bat-Adam
as Nadine
Stella Anicette
as Madame Lola

See full cast

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