Human Voice

Based on Jean Cocteau's iconic one-woman play of the same name; set against the backdrop of 1950 Naples, Angela is a woman in her twilight years, who rides the emotional rollercoaster of her last telephone conversation with the man she loves as he is leaving her for another woman.

This was a real treat for me. I didn't previously realize, before watching Sophia Loren's interview about 'A Special Day' (both that interview and 'Human Voice' are extras on The Criterion Collection release for that film) that this was a beloved role and film that actresses, as they got older, wanted to perform. I also didn't know about this play, despite being a Jean Cocteau enthusiast. This is the first film I have seen directed by Ponti, the son of Loren and the famous producer, Carlo Ponti. His work here is top-notch, especially the cinematography, and I can't for the life of me believe that Loren is 79-80 years old when this was filmed. I don't know her secret Fountain of Youth, but I for one will definitely have what she's having, as we tend to say. I exquisitely hope this isn't the last we've seen of the legendary thespian, but it's definitely worthy of, as she said in the aforementioned interview, the third-best performance she feels she has ever made.