Nora's Will (Cinco días sin Nora)

Year: 2008
Country: MEXICO
Run Time: 92 minutes

In NORA'S WILL, Nora is a woman who insists on having the upper hand, right to the bitter end. She and José, her curmudgeonly ex-husband of 20 years, have adjacent apartments so they can spy on each other via binoculars. An observant Jew, Nora orchestrates her suicide right before Passover in a manipulative flourish geared to annoy atheist José. But before she goes, Nora prepares special foods for the Seder, sets the table lovingly, and places a large meat order. When she fails to open the door to the delivery man, José grudgingly lets him in. Along with Nora's lifeless body, José discovers notes bearing instructions on containers in the fridge, letters to various loved ones, and a pot of freshly brewed coffee. Soon the apartment fills up with dysfunctional family members coming to manage things and pay their respects. Determined to foil Nora even in death, José mixes up the sticky notes on the Tupperware, orders sausage pizza for his Jewish family, insults the rabbi, and places an order for a Catholic burial. But one tiny detail has slipped by Nora, and now José begins to see their lives together in a new way. (In Spanish and Hebrew with subtitles) – B.B.

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