Anora review

 

At first glance you'd be amiss to think that Anora is nothing more than a titalation expose and that is totally justified by the opening of this movie given the first thing we see is half naked women gyrating and grinding on men's laps. But Anora is far from a big sex blowout it is one of the most understated, tragic and awe insipiring movies you'll probably see all year. Mikey Madison is utterly sensational as Anora or Ani for short. She is a erotic dancer / prositute working at a club, one of the best money earners in said club her entire life changes when her boss pairs her with a young Russian man who is the son of a very wealthy family. What follows is a topsy turvey party filled with drink, drugs and plenty of sex leading to a marriage between the two young lovers which takes them from NYC to Las Vegas and beyond, as it goes on however something just doesn't feel or sit right with you and it all comes crashing down when the Russian family get involved attempting to anull the marriage. 

Anora is a deep impactful movie written and directed by Sean Baker. It's captivating from beginning to end. There's a scene in the newlyweds house that is one of the greatest scenes of cinema that I've seen in a long, long time, it's dangerous, it's sexy and most importantly it's a true tribute to the sex work community whose life is really put into the spotlight here. Performance wise Anora is all about Mikey Madison who is so good here it's actually unbeliveable how good she is. Everything from the way she looks and acts is so convincing it's so engrossing to just watch her do anything and she does a lot in this movie from getting fully naked to plenty of sex and intercouse which is not for everyone I'm sure but without it this movie just wouldn't work as well as it does. 

Anora is easily one of the best movies this year. Mikey Madison has got to be the discussion for Best Actress come awards season and if there's any real justice she will win her performance is that convincing, it's that good and truly impactful. Her dedication to the role is second to none as not only did she do all kinds of research and it shows but she also plays it with such raw and tender moments it is very emotional leading to a gut punch of an ending. Anora is a masterclass in character work and filmaking and everyone involved should be extremely proud of what they have created and put into the world. A masterpiece in every sense of the word.

★★★★★