Nora’s Will begins when José (Fernando Luján) finds out that Nora, the woman he’d been married to for 30 years and then divorced, has committed suicide. The rabbi explains to José that due to the celebration of the Passover festivities, if Nora is not buried that same day, they will have to wait almost five days to be able to carry out the burial.
It turns out that before she died, Nora devised a Machiavellian plan in order for him to take care of her funeral and bring her family together. But she missed something; a mysterious photograph left under the bed will lead to an unexpected outcome that will remind us that sometimes the greatest love stories are hidden in the smallest places.
This film has received several awards in the film festival circuit and it is one that deserves some attention. Some call it a comedy; others call it a black comedy or a tragicomedy… What is clear about Nora’s Will is that it is unpretentious and Mariana Chenillo does a good job in keeping the story coherent as a first-time director. Fernando Luján is wonderful as the ex-husband who still has love for Nora while at the same time resentment for the way she tended to manipulate others and their feelings. Through various mishaps, sad and funny moments, the film is not just about Nora’s suicide but what comes of it in bringing a family together in times of sadness and turmoil.
Nora’s Will is now playing at the Cineplex Odeon Sheppard and at Rainbow Cinemas. It’s in Spanish, with English subtitles.