Leonor (Sheila Francisco) was once an aspiring screenwriter–and she had planned to take the world by storm, show them what she’s made of, and live life to the best of her ability. That is all behind her now, and she’s an elderly woman with nothing but her dreams firmly planted in her rearview mirror. When Leonor falls into a coma after a freak accident, however, she finds herself developing one of the ideas that she had years ago–turning it into something real for the first time. This is proof that Leonor Will Never Die, and that her dream is still alive and well.
Lenor Will Never Die is a challenging film in some ways. It digs deep and attempts to exist somewhere between comedy and drama–but it’s not comedy in the way that I think the film needs. The outright humor that is presented to viewers throughout the course of Leonor Will Never Die is a bit too silly for this film–and it steals from just about every other aspect of the film. Now, on the other hand, Writer-Director Martika Ramirez Escobar also creates comedy that brilliantly plays into this narrative, and even better, Leonor’s film. The film that Leonor develops throughout the course of the film is a 1980’s action flick–with all the bells and whistles.
1980’s action films are sort of a genre of their own. Think cheesy comedy, less-than-perfect effects (and I’m being generous), and plotlines that often flirt with ridiculous. That’s exactly the film that is created by Leonor–and that’s where the comedy shines. It fits, it makes sense, it’s what viewers need to see in order to truly be transported back forty years. Leonor Will Never Die creates a film within a film–and that internal project is simply spectacular. The bookends of the film, Leonor’s journey, is alright, but I’m not in love with it–what I do love is the fact that this team is willing to poke fun at the ridiculousness that we all know from years ago, and that’s because it’s accomplished flawlessly.
At the heart of Leonor Will Never Die is something truly fun. I just had a conversation the other day about modern-day movie goers looking at a film, saying “that was fun,” and somehow that’s enough for it to be deemed good (or even great). I’d never look at a film and say that it being fun makes it a great film, and that’s the case here with Leonor Will Never Die. It’s not a good film because it’s fun, it’s a good film because the fun serves a purpose, it transports viewers to a different time and place in cinema. Everything that happens throughout the course of Leonor Will Never Die serves a purpose–and that’s why the film is successful.
Leonor’s story isn’t what attracts me to Leonor Will Never Die–I appreciate it, no doubt, but it’s the film within the film that really does it for me. I love the fact that Escobar is able to transport viewers somewhere else, truly bring to life a 1980’s action movie set, and capture the realities of this time period with great aplomb. Leonor Will Never Die, because it has so many moving parts, will appeal to a great number of people–and I think that Escobar does a wonderful job of blending a series of techniques and cinematic disciplines in order to create a fun, cohesive film.
Written & Directed by Martika Ramirez Escobar.
Starring Sheila Francisco, Bong Cabrera, Rocky Salumbides, Anthony Falcon, Rea Molina, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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