Anora (2024)★ 7.5/10

There are scenes that are very safdie brothers, tremendous

Luego de que un joven millonario contrae matrimonio con una prostituta, unos matones contratados por sus padres buscarán la manera de quebrar el precoz matrimonio para devolver al novio a su Rusia natal.

Entre tanta bazofia pseudo-cinematográfica, se agradece esta obra de Sean Baker; donde no todo es lo que parece, y donde el desenlace oculta una realidad para nada despreciable.

best movie of the year, my oscar vote

Mmmmmmmmmm

As a cinephile, I’m disappointed in myself for not being familiar with Sean Baker’s work. He has created independent movies like THE FLORIDA PROJECT and RED ROCKET. I currently have not seen these, but I will as soon as I can. His most recent is also his most mainstream, ANORA. Winner of the Palme d’Or, this is about Anora (Mikey Madison), who likes to go by “Ani”, a sex worker in Brooklyn who gets in a relationship with a Russian son of an oligarch, Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn). If the first act is CINDERELLA, the rest of the movie is UNCUT GEMS. I really don’t want to tell you too much, but this is an unconventional love story with very real, well-developed characters, especially Anora herself. Sean Baker did pretty much everything with this: He co-produced, edited, wrote, and directed this wild ride. At a certain point during the movie, it switches gears, which might be jarring for some people. There is a beautiful blend of comedic moments within a tragedy. What’s the quote? Tragedy is just comedy plus time? Anyway, everything worked for me in this movie. It’s unpredictable and it looks gorgeous. Because Ani is a sex worker, there’s obviously a lot of sex in the movie. What the director intended to do is destigmatize sex work and show all aspects of that lifestyle. He shows the glamour and the danger. I loved how I viewed certain characters differently as the movie went along. I believe ANORA will be on a lot of “Top 10” lists this year, probably mine too. Oh and Mikey Madison deserves all the praise for her performance. This is yet another small-budget movie ($6 million) seemingly coming out of nowhere with a powerful left hook.

While Sean Baker's commitment to portraying marginalized communities is admirable, the final product leaves an uncomfortable aftertaste. The opening romance shows promise with its charm and wit, but once the lead's family enters the picture - with the heavy-handed emphasis on Russian identity and the climactic clash between his mother and the protagonist - the narrative descends into chaotic farce.

The film deserves extra credit for its humor - who knew it would turn into such an entertaining road comedy? It's impressive how they managed to make a story about a stripper marrying a Russian heir so engaging. The occasional low-angle shots and cold color grading lurk beneath the laughter like ghosts, reminding viewers that this isn't just about a naive American girl, a clueless rich kid, and an incompetent Russian boss - it's about power dynamics and oppression.

The higher the expectations, the more disappointment this movie brings. It feels like Sean Baker has lost the sincerity and the ability to tell a good story with his emphasis on the audiovisual aspects. As a result, this movie has become a predictable cliché. The comedy is well-executed in the first half but falls short as the story progresses. The lead actress delivers a fantastic performance, truly embodying the heart-wrenching character of Anora in the final moments of the last scene.

This movie can be pretty enjoyable as a romantic comedy if you lower your expectations. The depiction of everyday life and character development is well-executed. However, there is still room for improvement in constructing complex situations and injecting more significance into everyday life. Anora's character has immense potential, but there isn't enough time for her to truly shine, resulting in a somewhat overly ideal and simplistic ending for the third act.

As for the Palme d'Or-winning film "Anora" can be seen as a film with the vintage charm of Polaroid photos, reminiscent of "Pretty Woman." However, this seemingly unbelievable story of a romance and marriage between a sex worker and a wealthy heir is presented by Sean Baker with dreamlike cinematography, an easily immersive editing rhythm, and casual everyday dialogues. Even for male viewers who may not frequent strip clubs or have never been to one at all, the film feels like a journey with an old friend into the world of adult entertainment—a seemingly chaotic yet orderly place waiting to be explored. It dismantles the impossibility of fairy tales between different social classes, which is easy for viewers to engage.

Sobrevalorada. Opino solo de lo que vi, sin tener en cuenta si se hizo con poco presupuesto, si se grabó con celulares, si lo dirigió un genio artístico, etc, etc.
No vi la gran belleza o esa historia con tal profundidad, ni la mujer que lucha y doblega al sistema, clasismo, y tantas otras cosas que leí y escuché sobre esta película. Creo que todo eso fue más una sobreinterpretación; que están interesantes esas ideas, pero que la película no muestra.
¿Hablan de romance en "Anora"? Pff, 5min se llega a sentir eso.
Eso sí, después de todo lo ocurrido, el cierre está bien, el final es emotivo.
La actriz que hizo de Anora, tiene el estilo de la artista musical española: Juicy Bae. Googleála.

Vista el 06/01/2026.