In an age of cinema dominated by comic book heroes, action blockbusters, and more serious-toned films, Leonor Will Never Die is a fun breath of fresh air that so many can enjoy.
We meet Leonor Reyes (Sheila Francisco), a now-retired film director of Filipino action films. She spends her days dreaming of completing an unfinished screenplay, something she believes is truly special, while sharing a home with her adult son Rudie (Bong Cabrera), talking to her dead son Ronwaldo (Anthony Falcon), and forgetting to pay her bills. However, one day, she has an accident in her house and is hit on the head, sending her body into a coma and her mind into the world of her screenplay.
This is where the fun begins. Hilariously bad film fun is unleashed, immersing the viewer (and Leonor) into a world of shoddy sound effects, terribly dubbed audio, laughable dialogue, and some classic slow-motion action scenes. The twisted fun continues in the real world as while Leonor is in a coma, Rudie and his father Valentin (Allan Bautista) try to revive her by trying to get this script actually produced. It’s a great time, down to the worst-dressed actors and their over-the-top acting.
RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: RAE DAWN CHONG TALKS NEW PANDEMIC DRAMA AND ‘INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE’
Leonor’s adventures within her screenplay, while hilarious and often unique, also take time to ask some interesting questions. As this is her world, she is almost god-like in stature, able to predict actions and dialogue. However, she also questions everything she has created, from the tough guys to images to why she even wrote certain lines and scenes. Writer and director Martika Ramirez Escobar give the audience an incredible palate of shapes and colors in terms of scenes to look at and digest while making them question the life of Leonor, part victim, part God, but without a doubt, incredibly charming.
The film is full of family drama moments, and at the heart of it all is Sheila Francisco, who makes Leonor a fascinating and lovable character. Her journey is one of humor and adventure but also intertwined with a strong desire to see her screenplay finished and the overwhelming need to come to grips with the death of her son. It is a great character with many layers, and Francisco does a great job conveying many different feelings and emotions, even though some of the more zany moments of the film.
There are times when it seems like writer-director Escobar pushes things a little too far. Some scenes go on too long for no apparent reason, making some of the journey less enjoyable than others. The ending is a curious choice as well but to be fair, in this movie, you can make choices just because… well, you can. Whether they all fit together for the viewers is less important than the adventure and life journey that Leonor and, to a lesser extent, her family are on.
RELATED: ‘PEARL’ REVIEW: A PERFECT COMPLIMENTARY PREQUEL IN BOTH STYLE AND TONE
Clever and downright hilarious at times, Leonor Will Never Die is one of those films in that you simply need to sit back and revel in the ideas and, for the most part, execution. While, on the one hand, it’s an obvious love letter to Filipino cinema, you don’t need a deep knowledge of the genre to be able to appreciate a unique story and have a great time at the movies.
