Leonor Will Never Die

Right, well needless to say that I hadn't heard about this 2022 Filipino movie titled "Leonor Will Never Die" from writer and director Martika Ramirez Escobar prior to actually sitting down to watch it.

But I will say that the synopsis for the movie definitely sounded interesting enough. And since it was a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to give the movie a fair chance.

The narrative in "Leonor Will Never Die" was just beyond my liking. The storyline proved a bit too strange and far out there for my taste and preference. And while I managed to sit through all 104 minutes that the movie ran for, then I was only mildly entertained. It is a storyline that definitely blurs the lines between reality and fiction.

What made the movie bearable to watch was the acting performances. There were some genuinely good performances from the cast. And it was a cast that I wasn't at all familiar with.

"Leonor Will Never Die" is somewhat of a niche movie, no doubt about it. I didn't overly enjoy it, but I am sure that there is an audience out there for a movie such as this.

My rating of "Leonor Will Never Die" lands on a four out of ten stars.

When a former film star, Leonor, gets clocked in the head by a falling television, she drifts into a world where dreams and reality collide. Wandering like a ghost in one of her unfinished films, Leonor confronts villains and assists friends in a world as far-fetched as her imagination. Concerned friends and relatives attempt to revive her from her dream-like state, but they also become transformed by her visions.

Winner of the Sundance special jury prize, Leonor Will Never Die is a heart-warming, funky, purely Filipino, and humorous tribute to the power of film, stories, imagination, and community. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival, midnight madness.

For creative types (especially writers), sometimes it's all too easy for the lines between reality and their work to become blurred. Where does one leave off and the other begin? Indeed, can someone become so absorbed in a project that perspective becomes lost? And what does this mean for those who care (and worry) about the artist? Those are the dynamics at play in this quirky, thoughtful comedy-drama about a retired screenwriter (Sheila Francisco) who has experienced her share of heartache during her life and has now fallen on hard times during what are supposed to be her golden years. She longs to complete an unfinished work, an action film reminiscent of those frequently made in the Philippines in the 1970s, with elements similar to those also found in classic martial arts and Blaxploitation pictures of the era. However, while in the midst of writing, she experiences a freak accident that leaves her in a coma - and her consciousness in the middle of her script as one of its central heroic figures, a sudden, unexpected appearance that befuddles the characters she created. But, as her adventure plays out in her mind, her family and friends can only look on and wonder what, if anything, they can do for her - that is, until these two different worlds somehow manage to become intertwined with one another. And, as these two parallel yet interwoven stories play out, a curious mix of synchronicities, kooky laugh-out-loud moments and metaphysical insights into the nature of existence all begin to emerge (sometimes simultaneously), providing viewers with much to ponder and plenty to chuckle over. Writer-director Martika Ramirez Escobar's multiple-layered debut feature is an absolute delight, one that tells a hilarious yet perceptive tale, a challenging narrative combination to pull off as successfully as it is here, an accomplishment comparable to what was achieved in such other 2022 releases as "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Strawberry Mansion." What's more, this offering is a campy yet lovingly reverential homage to the cheesy action flicks it so capably and intentionally mimics in terms of its clichéd camera work, trite dialogue and sloppy technical elements (like out-of-sync vocal dubbing). Admittedly, the film begins to drag a little in the home stretch, but, as a very deserving Independent Spirit Award nominee for best international film, this is must-see viewing for those who appreciate unexpectedly profound subject matter served up with a healthy slathering of unrepentant kitsch.

"Leonor" (Sheila Francisco) is a legendary Filipino writer and film maker who is now rather obliviously living on the breadline. Faced with disconnection from the electricity supply, her son "Rudy" (Bong Cabrera) is at his wit's end. When the lights do go out, she decides that maybe she can resurrect one of her old scripts and enter it into a competition that could solve all their problems. Snag - well her neighbours are having a row about what to watch on television and their solution is to throw it out of the window - and onto her inspecting head! Hospital obviously beckons and the doctor advises "Rudy" that she is in a coma from which she may (or may not) emerge. The rest of this quickly paced comedy drama merges her comatose dream sequences in which she is trying to re-write her Guy Ritchie style action drama, with the real life predicament faced by her worried son. What transpires through the flashbacks is that there was another son - the beloved "Ronwaldo" (Anthony Falcon) and we gradually discover just what happened to him - which goes some way to explain the role he is now given as the ninja-esque heart-throb character in her new movie involving just about every small-time local crook in the book. The story doesn't hang around and requires a degree of concentration to follow just what's going on. As her dreams are set in the world of movie making, we frequently stop, restart, rewind, jump ship, change plots - and that's quirkily engaging for a while, too. Some of the combat scenes are reminiscent of a 1970s Bruce Lee film which I think is deliberate and quite effective in an entertainingly "thwack" and "pow" sort of fashion. Sadly, though, the very nature of it's spoof style exposes it to the flaws of the genre upon which it is based and after about half an hour I was just a bit bored with it all. The story is solid, but the execution relies on some pretty third rate acting - especially from her hero (Rocky Salumbides) and his constantly in need of rescue "Isabella" (Rea Molina) and though occasionally quite witty, the dialogue is also a bit pedestrian too. I am glad I saw this at the cinema - had I started on television I suspect I would have given up. It's an interesting watch, but not a memorable one.

This is a gutsy film. It oozes an enigma I wish to see more in the local scene. I haven't felt this way since watching Dwein Baltazar's Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus.

It revisits a beloved era of PH action movies, its templates carefully recreated throughout. The one-liners, FPJ punch, the iconic 4x3, the warehouse endings, but even in its thoughtful tribute, Leonor Will Never Die veers away from one clear distinction in its inspiration; it is cleverly unpredictable. In a way, it sheds light on the path Philippine cinema has been headed; it is films like this that inspire future artists to dig deep and look outward.

Structured like a dream's dream. It is fluid, strong on one end, then breaks like water in some parts. My only gripe is that it has more potential; there is a classic craft in it somewhere that I wish the filmmakers explored-a hint of logistic limitations, perhaps, or time constraints. But anyway, you could sense that it was done as best as it could, like a dreamer's passion project.