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Join UsStar Cast: Mikey Madison, Yura Borisov, Mark Eydelshteyn, Vache Tovmasyan, and Karren Karagulian.
Director: Sean Baker
What’s Good: The performances, the visuals, the score, and the energy are out of this world.
What’s Bad: There is nothing bad about the film, but the chaotic nature of it might overwhelm some people.
Loo Break: There are no loo breaks in Anora as the film’s pace is frenetic and has no room for filler.
Watch or Not?: Anora is a must-watch for cinema fans worldwide, especially now that it has received so many Oscar nominations.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Available On: Theaters, VOD
Runtime: 139 Minutes.
User Rating:
Opening:
Throughout his career, Sean Baker has become one of the most singular filmmakers in North America, thanks to his inclination to tell stories that feel real and look real while also having that unique magic that makes films, films, and not just a documentary. Anora, his latest and most important film to date, does that and more by bringing his style to the highest level and telling a story filled with memorable characters and a main performance that is just magical.
Anora Movie Review: Script Analysis
Sean Baker writes and directs his own films and also edits them. So Anora, like all his other works, has his fingerprints all over. It is quite magical in the sense that you can definitely feel there is a vision behind the film, and it is not just another packaged and formulaic film that we have seen a thousand times. The style and tone of the film overcomes the fact that this is, on a basic level, just a new version of Pretty Woman, but one that destroys the movie’s fantasy and introduces a terrible level of reality.
The film focuses on Anora, also known as Ani, a young stripper from Brooklyn who uses her beauty and charisma to make a living out of men looking for company. Ani is very good at her job, but once she meets a young Russian millionaire who promises to marry her and make her every dream come true, it seems too good to be true, and it is, with the young man’s family doing everything in their power to stop the union.
The film has a strange structure, but one that works insanely well, as it takes its time to present Ani and the world she lives in, to then spend the rest of the movie destroying and exploring that world, with a level of chaotic energy that has not been seen in the big screen since Uncut Gems. Anora actually borrows a lot from Uncut Gems but still makes it unique, as the tone is more melancholic and less mean, but the lingering sadness of it all is still felt in every frame.
The film is chaotic when it comes to tone, but it goes from “Big” to “Small” in ways you don’t expect. As the characters get more and more tired of their situation, the energy of the film changes and becomes quieter and slower, in a good way, as the best scenes in the film are right there at the end when the characters can only do very little, and they would prefer just go to bed and be done with the entire situation.
Anora Movie Review: Star Performance
Anora has received many nominations in this awards season, including several Oscars, including a couple for its performances, especially those of Mikey Madison and Yura Borisov. The pair works flawlessly and has terrific chemistry even when their characters say very little to each other. Mikey is the queen of the film, our main character, and the actress goes on a journey doing basically everything on the emotional spectrum and pulling it off. She is definitely my favorite when it comes to the Oscar for Best Actress, and I hope she wins.
On the other hand, Yura Borisov has received the nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His performance, while subtle, is also quite moving and powerful. His character is relatively contained and quiet but has a powerful presence. It would be amazing for him to win, especially as a foreign actor. It is always cool when Hollywood recognizes talent outside its frontiers, but the competition is strong in that category.
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Anora Movie Review: Direction, Music
Baker has a unique style, one that he started to develop fuller with his work in Starlet, another film that also dealt with s*x workers and how the work influenced their lives outside of just getting paid for having s*x. In Anora, Baker goes beyond what he has done while retaining a very energetic look, with the movie spending most of its time inside clubs or in the middle of the night. It is a dark film that explores the night-life and the people that make life inside that darkness, and it is pretty beautiful to look at, even if some of the situations depicted in the film are very stressful.
The film doesn’t have an original score per se, but Baker and his team have managed to fill the movie with music, songs, and a compelling sound design that really helps when replicating the atmosphere of a chaotic night in New York. The sonic landscape also combines well with Baker’s editing, elevating the energy and controlling it as each new scene begins and finishes during the film.
Anora Movie Review: The Last Word
Anora is a masterclass in filmmaking, the result of a director who has been grinding for a long time and has managed to succeed by following his own rules and never compromising on how he wants to sell himself and his art. This is immensely valuable, as unique voices are rarely present inside the mainstream filmmaking scene. The film is a must-watch for all cinema lovers worldwide, and while it might not be for everyone, it will undoubtedly hit the hearts of many who end up seeing it.
Anora Trailer
Anora released on 28th February 2025.
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