By Roger Moore | August 10th, 2010
They were married for years, and divorced for even more years. But somehow, Jose (Fernando Lujan) never quite moved on. Or at least moved away from his ex, Nora. A grin-and-giggle Mexican-Jewish funeral farce (and how often do you get to write THAT sentence?), "Nora's Will" is a comical battle of wills between Jose and his dead ex-wife.
Writer-director Mariana Chenillo's award-winning film plays around with religious customs and rituals. But it's really about characters- the irked and still-wounded Jose, especially. Lujan, a veteran leading man now at an age when character roles more suit him, carries the film with a droll, understated bemusement. Jose is annoyed, paranoid, and more than a little controlling and manipulative himself. Can he best his ex-wife in this, their last argument?
"Nora's Will" is a marvelous, low-key comedy of little acts of rebellion, a movie that reminds us that no matter the culture or religion, no one is ever at their very best when a loved one- even an ex-loved one, has died. |