Day 2 of Oscars week and Anora is next on the list! This review will have spoilers.
Anora
Summary
Ani (short for Anora is a sex worker from Brooklyn. One day, she is asked to work for the son of a Russian oligarch, Vanya, because she speaks Russian. Vanya quickly becomes a regular customer; one thing leads to another, and they get married in Vegas. As soon as they're married, there are demands for Vanya to file for divorce. The film does start out as a Cinderella Story, but it shows what happens once the fairytale is over.
One-Sentence Review
Rating: 8/10
I was surprised that I enjoyed this film since I had doubts at the start, but it was realistic, and I appreciate that.
The Tiny Details
I saw this movie about a month ago and at the time I didn't think too much of it other than it was an odd film to think up. I keep a spreadsheet of Oscar nominations and comments and under Best Original Screenplay I wrote "This is definitely an original", in more of a weirded-out way than anything else. Until a couple weeks later, a friend of mine from a writing class reached out asking for help contrasting a thesis. Her topic is how sex work in films is glorified and unrealistic. It got me thinking about Anora and really did change my perspective on the film.
When I first watched the film, I appreciated the ending. I don't actively seek out films with a sad ending or an unsatisfying ending, but I always acknowledge them when I see them because I like when films add that touch of reality to them. Anora overall really shows the reality of sex work, though it seems she's found her happy ending the story starts there rather than finishing with one. The film doesn't start showing Ani's tragic backstory (that one can imply she has) and ends with her marrying her prince. It starts with a marriage and ends with her back at her old apartment in tears and the knowledge that she has to go back to her work. It's not glorifying at all and rather realistic in my opinion. I even fell into the group of people hoping that everything would work out for Ani, and she'd get her happy ending, it made that brutal reality check really stick with me.
Though once I looked at this film as a post-Cinderella story, I still wished I got a little bit more back story on Ani, just a quick sentence or two. Though I admit leaving it unsaid gives her a mysterious aspect and gives an outside party a chance to imagine what could've happened. I also was not a fan of Igor and his role in the film. I just felt that his being almost a secondary love interest took away some of the impact Ani had on me, I felt he was unnecessary. For example, at the end when he and Ani kiss before she breaks down, I thought maybe it would've been better for her to be left on the steps to her apartment. In the end, they'd show the same thing, but I personally would've preferred more of a focus on Ani being left utterly alone with nothing to show from her short marriage.
Characters
I've already stated my dislike for Ivan so I'm just going to move past that, though that is the character that drew a lot of my focus.
Ani was a great main character; Mikey Madison did an amazing job portraying her. I'd say Ani is a very complex, guarded character who defends herself well and it translated really well. There were also more vulnerable moments, especially towards the end and the way you could tell Ani was scared though she kept her head up was really spectacular.
As for Vanya, I agree with one of the Letterboxd top reviews that warns against trusting twinks.
Best Quotes
5) "I'm not being paid enough for this" - Igor
This was one of the few times I liked something Igor said, because same man
4) "I give it two weeks bitch" - Diamond
She was right
3) "I need to talk to Vayna first" - Ani
I liked this one because it seemed to be very rational thinking during a time of high stress and Ani was handling it well by thinking it through.
2) "You don't have cash? Let's go to the ATM" - Ani
Ani always had her priorities straight
1) "If you come any closer, I will scream" - Ani
She was prepared to defend herself and she followed through on the set. Since this was earlier on, it told me what kind of person Ani is and set the tone for the rest of the movie.
An Inspired Playlist
The Anora soundtrack already includes amazing songs such as Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, Apple by CharliXCX, All The Things She Said by t.A.T.u, and Sexxx Dreams by Lady Gage. Here are some more that match the vibe:
Hot N' Cold - Katy Perry: Vayna literally changes his mind like a girl changes clothes.
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived - Taylor Swift: The official playlist has a lot of good upbeat club hits, so I wanted to add some more angry feels, especially about Vayna.
Backstabber - Kesha: I don't really have an explanation, I just saw backstabber and thought OH very Anora coded
APT. - Rosé and Bruno Mars: I think if this had come out earlier, it would've actually been in the film
Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/208PDx4zYjTYbGqa1CeYmJ?si=9483fc2074694e35
Oscar Nominations
Best Director: I think my note from my spreadsheet encapsulates how I feel about this one "Bro knew what he was doing"
Best Leading Actress in a Role: I think Mikey Madison is my top choice for this category, her performance really resonated for me.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Yuri Borisov did well as Igor, his line delivery was great, I just didn't like the character.
Best Original Screenplay: I think this is definitely an original, while when I first said this, I meant it in a "why would someone write this" kind of way but I now mean it in a "I loved the way this topic was approached and portrayed" way.
Best Film Editing: For this my notes said "I wish some of the transitions were smoother" unfortunately I didn't elaborate, and I wrote that a month ago so what I meant has slipped my mind.
Thank you for reading! I would absolutely love to hear your opinions, ratings, top characters, and ratings!
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