Bonus Review: Anora

Love Is Hustle

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INTRODUCTION

This is a quick review of the newly released film Anora. Keep in mind this is but one of the many movies I watch every year, and that whatever initial grade I come up for this film could change for better or worse with time. To better keep up to date with both my thoughts on other movies and if my feelings on this film changed, follow me on Letterboxd.

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THE PLOT

Via Letterboxd: Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

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QUICK REVIEW

Since its screening at the Cannes Film Festival last summer and its subsequent placement for the TIFF Audience Award, Anora has cast a large shadow in the world of film criticism in 2024. The entire awards punditry industry has treated it as a placeholder for the frontrunner for the next Best Picture Oscar, and critics everywhere have hinted it will dominate their “Best of” lists.

Of course, this is a Sean Baker film, and Baker’s work tends to be divisive outside of the critical sphere. Known for examining society's fringes, featuring morally ambiguous or unlikable protagonists, and crafting open-ended conclusions, his films often resonate more with critics than with industry professionals or general audiences.

I’ve been vocal about my skepticism that Anora will claim the Best Picture Oscar, but whether that prediction holds or not, my job as a critic is to evaluate the film on its own terms. Though the movie has been out for a while, I hadn’t had the chance to watch it until my NEON FYC box set/booklet finally arrived in the mail. Now that I’ve seen it, I can finally share my personal thoughts.