138. Leonor Will Never Die; movie review

 

LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE

Cert 15

99 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, language, threat

Here's a contender for strangest film of the year and one which will no doubt gain the adoration of cinephiles.

But be warned, Leonor Will Never Die demands maximum attention because it goes off on crazy tangents and has myriad twists.

Amid the tale of a long-retired screenwriter is a tribute to the 70s and 80s action b-movies.

Indeed, Martika Ramirez Escobar's feature flicks between the present-day and dream-like sequences of those old films.

It stars Sheila Francisco as Leonor Reyes a forgetful pensioner who spends much of her time watching her old movies.

She lives with her son (Bong Cabrera) who wants to leave home but fears that his mother will not be able to look after herself financially or physically.

With the idea of making some cash, she answers an advertisement for screenplays and rekindles an unfinished script.

This is where fantasy and fact begin to mingle and Leonor dreams of her hero (Rocky Salumbides) as well as her real-life son (Anthony Falcon) who died in a freak tragedy.

Leonor Will Never Die is certainly original and has a rare joy about it with its homage to Filipino action movies.

On the downside, it isn't always easy to follow because there is so much going on.

I suspect it will split cinema audiences between those who live it and those who find it too chaotic.

Reasons to watch: Original homage to Filipino action movies

Reasons to avoid: Not very easy to follow

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Action movies reached their height in the Philippines after Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972. At a time when Filipinos felt the most helpless the action formula provided comfort.

The final word. Martika Ramirez Escobar: "If I had to make one film before jumping off a cliff, I would want it to be about my relationship with cinema — how it takes me places and keeps me sane."

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