Nora's Will (Cinco dias sin Nora) (2009)

88% of critics liked it
(33 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(368 ratings)

Nora had a plan. It would bring her ex-husband, Jose, and the rest of their family together for a magnificent Passover feast. But there is a flaw in her plan- a mysterious photograph from the past, hidden under the bed, which leads Jose to reexamine their relationship and rediscover their undying… More Nora had a plan. It would bring her ex-husband, Jose, and the rest of their family together for a magnificent Passover feast. But there is a flaw in her plan- a mysterious photograph from the past, hidden under the bed, which leads Jose to reexamine their relationship and rediscover their undying love for each other.-- (C) Menemsha Films

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Mariana Chenillo
Written By: Mariana Chenillo
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 29, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Oct 18, 2011
Studio: Menemsha Films

Critic Reviews

Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
This is a very wise film, without any stench of didacticism: Through it all, the abiding power - like the strong force of an atomic bond - is not love exactly, but relationship, the net that wraps us all together and holds us fast.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Lujan does what only the best actors can -- infusing the slightness not with actual substance but at least with the idea of substance, with a road map to where the writer could have located it. In Nora's Will, his performance points the way.
Bruce Demara, Toronto Star
In her feature film debut, Mexican writer/director Mariana Chenillo has woven a genuine charmer, tartly funny and irreverent yet warm and poignant, a testament to enduring love.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
The tone is tricky, sliding along a tightrope of farce and wistfulness, but Luján especially walks it like a pro, his ruined leonine face registering cynicism, shock, and the embarrassment of grief.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Chenillo doesn't have a galvanic visual style but her film is filled with small, observant moments when the humanity of these people peeps through the low-key shenanigans. It's a bittersweet farce.
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
A fantastic first feature from rising director Mariana Chenillo. Watch for her.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
Luján, a veteran of over 100 Spanish-language movies and television programs,... finds just the right tone to make José's dilemma both poignant and humorous.
Emily S. Mendel, culturevulture.net
Nora's Will is character-driven, with universal themes of family, religion, love and reconciliation
John Hartl, Seattle Times
An unexpectedly droll tale about a funeral, "Nora's Will" demonstrates the power of some people to reach beyond the grave.
Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly
Although there are conflicts and revelations, the movie takes a low-key approach to it all.
Michele Kenner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Yes, you read that right: Jewish suicide comedy.
Norman Wilner, NOW Toronto
Nora's orchestrated suicide may have been a clever gimmick on the page, but onscreen it's a profoundly s----y thing to do to her loved ones.
Adam Nayman, eye WEEKLY
Chenillo is a smart filmmaker, but the film is too tidy. Maybe next time out, she'll really get her hands dirty.
Emily S. Mendel, culturevulture.net
... a complex, nuanced, darkly amusing, yet poignant film.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
Softly rendered by Mariana Chenillo, the first woman to win a Mexican Academy Award for best director, and the quotidian rhythms are reminiscent of the recent Italian film "Mid-August Lunch."
James Verniere, Boston Herald
Another film about a family meal, "Nora's Will' is a fascinating glimpse into a Mexican-Jewish community and a nicely told, more-than-slightly twisted fable of love.
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
Chenillo maintains a tone of gentle absurdity until the sentimental ending.