Mariana Chenillo's award-winning Jewish Mexican comedy NORA'S WILL is now opening in Los Angeles, on the heels of its well-received opening at the prestigious Paris Theatre in New York City. A truly unique tale about lost faith and eternal love, Nora's Will garnered seven Mexican Academy Awards and earned Mariana the honor of being the first female director ever to win the Best Picture award. This is a must see film. But don't take my word for it, read some recent glowing reviews for Nora's Will.
Ken Turan, The Los Angeles Times:
"Tremendously appealing... Most impressive of all is filmmaker Chenillo's ability to make universal a very particular experience, to make something so firmly grounded in Mexico's Jewish community appealing across the board. That's a talent well worth appreciating today and watching out for in the future."
"Pitch-perfect... Original, irreverent. I suspect other, flashier foreign films with bigger promotional budgets will capture the lion’s share of media attention this movie season, but I doubt any will surpass this one for pure enjoyment."
"It's winning, funny and carries a sneaky emotional punch. Septuagenarian Mexican TV star Fernando Luján may suddenly become a sex symbol north of the border for his bone-dry performance as José. (He) is magnetic and subtle in every frame."
The critical consensus for Nora's Will has been overwhelmingly positive, as shown by the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, where film holds an amazing 94% Fresh rating! Click here to go to Rotten Tomatoes!
Don't miss Nora's Will - Now Playing in New York and Los Angeles!
Nora's Will opened this past Friday at the prestigious Paris Theatre in New York City, and the reviews are in! See what New York's critics have to say about this award-winning film!
Marshall Fine, The Huffington Post:
"Chenillo achieves that difficult trick of creating subversive humor, while slowly revealing Jose's long-buried feelings. What starts as a comedy of one man's rebellion against what is expected of him turns into a moving story in which his understanding of his own life blossoms.
That's a rare balancing act, one that Nora's Will achieves with both grace and wit."
Read the complete review here.
Read The Huffington Post's Q&A with writer/director Mariana Chenillo here.
George Robinson, The Jewish Week:
"Superb... joltingly funny. Fueled by the remarkable subtlety of Lujan's performance."
Jonathan Poritsky, Heeb Magazine:
"A fun, engaging and darkly comical piece worth checking out."
V.A. Musetto, New York Post:
"Warm and funny."
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times:
"Mr. Lujan's gruff, honest performance is especially noteworthy... (he) maintains a dignified hold on your attention. A testimony to true love."
Ilan Stavans, The Jewish Daily Forward:
"Gorgeous... Inspired."
Nick Schager, Time Out New York:
"Surprising... Poignant."
Don't miss Nora's Will - Now Playing! The Paris Theatre
4 West 58th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-688-3800 www.theparistheatre.com
The award-winning Mexican Jewish comedy Nora's Will is opening at the prestigious Paris Theatre in New York City tomorrow (Friday, October 15th)!
Nora's Will is a Mexican Jewish comedy like nothing you've seen before, a truly unique tale about lost faith and eternal love from writer/director Mariana Chenillo. When Jose’s ex-wife Nora dies right before Passover, Jose is forced to stay with her body until it can be buried properly. He soon realizes it's all part of Nora's plan to bring her family back together, leading Jose to reexamine their relationship and rediscover their undying love for each other.
The film was named Mexico’s Best Picture of the Year, taking home seven Mexican Academy Awards. (Mariana Chenillo is the first female director ever to win Mexico's Best Picture award.) Nora's Will has received rave reviews from critics and audiences all over the country. Don’t miss your chance to see this one-of-a kind film for yourself!
Opens Friday, October 15th! The Paris Theatre
4 West 58th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-688-3800 www.theparistheatre.com
A few of the wonderful reviews Nora's Will has received from critics around the country:
"One of the best films of the year." - Detroit Jewish News
"Brilliant... Nora's Will is a true find, a strikingly good, literate, emotionally engaging movie that will leave you wanting to see it again." - Montreal Mirror
"Sweet, surprising and satisfying." - Washington Post
"A deft blend of tragedy and comedy." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Warm and entertaining... Chenillo loads the scenario with more Yiddishkeit than a gross of matzo, sure to elicit laughs and knowing nods throughout the Diaspora." – Variety
“Superb… joltingly funny. Fueled by the remarkable subtlety of (Fernando) Luján’s performance.” – The Jewish Week NY
"Keenly observant." - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"A marvelous, low-key comedy of little acts of rebellion." - Orlando Sentinel
The Czech Republic has chosen Kawasaki's Rose, the award-winning film from preeminent Czech filmmakers Jan Hrebejk and Petr Jarchovsky, as the country's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards. This is the second film in Oscar contention for Hrebejk and Jarchovsky, as their film Divided We Fallwas nominated in 2001.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the final five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film on January 25th. The 2011 Oscars will be awarded in Los Angeles on Feb. 27. Read more in The Hollywood Reporter and Cineuropa.
This weekend, we were delighted to have two Menemsha Films represented in the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival: Saviors in the Night, the true story of Marga, a German holocaust survivor, as the opening night film, and Anita, the story a girl with Down syndrome who gets lost in Argentina after the Jewish center bombing, as the centerpiece. To our pleasure, both films were very well received, eliciting standing ovations at the end of each screening.
It’s hard to put into words the magic being at a cinema. I have seen these films many times, but to see them on the big screen was such an invaluable experience. This time, I was not just seeing the films with myself, but instead I was laughing and crying with a whole group of people who were enjoying that same magical experience. And beyond the magic of the theater, the Castro, San Francisco’s historic theater, was an especially pleasurable setting. The huge and gorgeous 1,400 seat architectural gem delivered no disappointment and only added to the excitement of the two screenings.
Our weekend started with the screening of “Saviors in the Night” on Saturday evening. That night we were joined by many important members of the cast and crew. Ludi Boeken, the writer and director of the film, and his lovely w ife; Lia Hoensbroech and Daniel Flieger, both stars in the film; and most importantly, 98 year old Marga Spiegel, the inspiration for the film. It was absolutely enthralling to see Marga there supported by all her beautiful friends and family. Before the screening, her daughter held a small dinner party for her which the Menemsha “crew” was happy to attend. Marga was amazing: friendly, engaging, and astoundingly quick with her feet… and her wit. After the screening, she bravely and energetically answered the questions of Jay Rosenblatt, the festival director, and a very eager audience. I think it is safe to say that anyone who met or came in any sort of contact with Marga was truly touched—I know I was. Overall, the film delivered a message of peace and hope for humanity. Ludi’s one request that night when introducing the film was that the film speak for itself, and in my opinion, the night did not fall short of his expectations.
"Saviors in the Night" Interview
Next on the list of screenings was “Anita”. Once again, we were thrilled to be joined by Alejandra Manzo, the star of the film, and Victoria Shocron, the director of an organization in Buenos Aires that works with people with disabilities. Although Marcos Carnevale, the director of the film, was unable to attend the festival, he sent a message to be read before the screening. He said that he wanted the film to deliver a message about the power of human compassion in a world troubled with hate and adversity. The film and the presence of Alejandra successfully delivered this message. Alejandra was so happy and truly grateful to be able to be part of the making of this film. She spoke about the film as a powerful tool in her adjustment to adulthood. Seeing her up there answering question and making jokes was not only inspiring and moving, but a powerful display of the fact that anyone can do anything if they put their minds to it.
"Anita" Interview
I was so happy to have been able to attend the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and could not have imagined a better way to finish off my summer internship with Menemsha Films. Although each film was very different and evoked very different emotional experiences from the audience, the messages the films delivered were essentially the same. These films were not just for the Jewish people, or the disabled. They were a beacon of hope. Anyone can be oppressed, hated, or discriminated against. And though we all may come from different backgrounds and realities, in the end, love and compassion shows us that at the core, we are all the same.
The Menemsha Crew (minus Ryan)
For more information on these films, please visit our website at www.menemshafilms.com
After tremendous success with its run in South Florida, Nora’s Will, the hilarious Mexican dark comedy, is back by popular demand.
Nora’s Will is the debut film of Mexican writer and director Mariana Chenillo. It’s a dark comedy about tragedy, religion, family, and the surprising way that love manages to find its way back into the life of Jose after his the death of his ex-wife Nora. Many of you may have heard of may have heard of Nora’s Will from its already substantial international acclaim—it won 7 Ariel Awards (the Mexican Academy Award)—or perhaps from its oustandingly successful run in South Florida over the past 3 months. And since then, even more good news has been flowing in!
Matthew Hays of the Montreal Mirror calls Nora’s Will “Extremely rare” and “remarkably understated”, while Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times appropriately states that, “Mariana Chenillo's gently tragic, irreverently comical film is a charmer”
To read more of these articles, please visit the webpages at:
And, if this wasn’t enough to convince you, the film is one of my personal favorites! So, if you haven’t had the chance to see the film, jump on the opportunity while you still can! Nora’s Will is opening this Friday in theaters in Tampa, Sarasota, Naples, and Tamarac.
Tampa - Regal Citrus Park 20 7999 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, FL 33625 (813) 920-9471 - Tickets and Showtimes
Sarasota - Regal Hollywood 20 1993 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34236 (941)365-2000 - Tickets and Showtimes
Naples - Regal Hollywood 20 6006 Hollywood Drive, Naples, FL 34109 (239) 597-9494 - Tickets and Showtimes
Tamarac - Tamarac Cinema 5 10036 West McNab Road, Tamarac, FL 33321 (954) 726-3500 - Tickets and Showtimes
A review of A Matter of Size written by Rachel Saslow was released in today’s Washington Post, just in time for the film’s opening today at the Avalon Theater in Washinton D.C. With a 3 out of 4 star rating, Saslow had some great things to say.
“That's the fanciful plot of this film about self-acceptance that treats its five main characters with respect. That's not to say the directors, Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor, don't realize that four nearly nude, overweight men stomping around and bear-hugging is a funny sight; they do.”
Needless to say, the film got its message across; hilarious yet heartfelt, and enough so to make it worthy of a Washington Post’s Critic’s Pick.
