Kenneth Turan’s film pick of the week: ‘Nora’s Will’

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Funny, poignant and tremendously appealing, films like ‘Nora’s Will’ are hard to come by, and kudos to the Laemmle chain for playing it in several of their theaters and letting the audience build.

‘Nora’s Will’ was a great success in Mexico, winning seven Ariels, the Mexican Oscar, including best film, original screenplay and a pair of acting awards under its original title ‘Cinco Dias Sin Nora’ (Five Days Without Nora.)

Despite this success, the film’s gentle nature makes it a tough sell in this country. The story of a man who fights a stubborn rear-guard action against his dead ex-wife’s final wishes, ‘Nora’s Will’ creates fully imagined eccentric characters and places them in the wryly comic world of the Mexican Jewish community.

Writer-director Mariana Chenillo displays a great sureness of touch in her first feature. This is a talent worth appreciating today and looking out for in the future.

-- Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times film critic