Anora – Really? This a masterpiece?
After kicking off by winning the Palme D’Or in Cannes, the so pronounced Cinderella story has followed things up by killing it in the box office as well as the unanimous critic world. Despite Mikey Madison’s terrific work here, Goatcycle is still struggling to comprehend what the whole fuss is about. Numerically speaking, that 97% tomato-91% popcorn RT score feels contrived to say the least. Is this one of the premier overrated films in recent memory, or is it me that’s tripping?
Assessment of critics’ consensus evaluation: ⋆
[The amount of full star reviews is befuddling]
Assessment of Normal People’s Ratings: ⋆⋆
[Folks’ opinion seems to be slightly less hyperbolic]
Boredom or Sleep Potential: ⋆⋆
[You probably won’t pass out, but don’t go if you’ve had a long day at work and are no longer fascinated by good’ol Russian stereotypes]
I was genuinely stoked about Anora. Having enjoyed all of Sean Baker’s previous films to varying degrees, much as the vast majority of the previous Cannes winners, the frenzied hype and raving reviews had me convinced ‘the voice of the marginalized’ may have outdone himself this time. As a cinematic experience, despite its aptness to make you dizzy a dozen or so times within the first half hour, it starts out majestically. And truly, the first half of the film feels like a prelude to a classic. Then… the actual film took over. Almost hopeless attempts at receiving laughs based on tired clichés, unnecessarily long search-party sequences a la poor man’s After Hours. Dumbed down figures doubling down as victims and perpetrators of the Russian elite, a manufactured and predictable side romance that comes to a head in a questionable ending.
The Cannes Award Angle:
If awards had a type/genre/thematic prerequisite, then the Palme D’Or has effectively been turned into a caricature for the idea. Ever since Dheepan’s win in 2015, the prestigious Golden Palm has been given to films that either depicted a satisfying revenge spree by disempowered figures against rich scum/antagonizing societal forces/bureaucracy, or showed an all too real side of above mentioned rich scum that no revenge was necessary to relegate them to the cesspit of humanity. Anora would ostensibly fit into the latter category, in that no real consequences have to be paid by the oligarch family.
The problem here, which somehow seems to be missed by most of the people who absolutely adored the picture, is that in this case, the mocking of the so-deemed marginalized renders them even bigger losers than the 20 year old brat who will probably be dead before he manages to spend one billionth of his dad’s money. Surely enough, Baker gets points for steering clear of the easy-way-out happy endings and audience pleasing murders of reality-detached wealthy folk. On the other hand, if you’re not going to avoid a bunch of other cinematic banalities, why save up on the one cliche that every single damn person in the cinema will feel happier and more rejuvenated about?
What makes this one less special:
To avoid misrepresenting the film, some of its highlights must be accentuated. Mikey Madison does a great job of offering a relatively honest glimpse into the life of a New York sex worker. Baker furthermore makes a genuine effort to portray her and her co-workers from a non-judgmental lens. These characters’ temperament is refreshing compared to other standard movies which manipulate and overkill stereotypes to secure more laughs. But in deciding to focus on the inevitability of Anora’s and the oligarch’s dogs desperation to lead a comfortable life via fulfilling their master’s/benefactor’s wishes, Baker can’t have his cake and eat it too. Anora is too smart to get herself into this whole ordeal; if she isn’t, then part of the message becomes blurred. Igor is too morally humane to sacrifice his self-respect for a few extra bucks. Sure, your circumstances engulf you into less than ideal situations, and in the end, the need to pay the bills forces one to sell a piece of their soul. Offering your precious time and feelings to emotionally handicapped people is just a process.
We get hyperbole; after all, our previous film review raved about Kinds of Kindness despite it taking ideas to their illogical extreme. This one just feels a little bit confused about what it really wants to say on the protagonists involved. In trying to add an extra layer of complexity, decisions and reactions made here end up feeling dumbed down. Baker managed to convince most critics that he cares about these people fervently, and his willingness to explore their predicament [retaining pride while simultaneously being a pushover] in absurd and satirical situations is just Hollywood on the cake. Personally, the cake just felt three days old.
Spoiler-less Summary:
I’m afraid I’ve inadvertently given away a few things already. Too lazy to rewrite this or find new angles which don’t incorporate minor telltales. At any rate, let’s try. Anora gives an above average peek into sex workers’ realities, treating them as respectable and intelligent human beings for a change. Surprise; it’s not exactly the first film to do that. Anora moreover reminds us that Russian oligarchs’ sons are even worse than their fathers, as well as that their mothers are so evil that they deserve having such shitbags as their family. Some people will commend the film for its handling of drama, humour and emotional depth; for haters like Goatcycle none of the aforementioned worked.
Reason for Raving Reception & Award:
Beyond the protagonist’s performance, your guess is as good as mine. I saw a tiktok quote somewhere that goes like this: “Anora is a love letter to the working class, the stigmatized, and the forgotten in society“. I’m starting to think my local theatre showed a different movie than everybody else watched. Then again, serious people are mourning the Democrats’ loss, dropping the ball on how Kamala spent 1 billion on her campaign to have spoiled millionaires tell everyday people that they are not forgotten. Can you think of about 1 billion more meaningful ways to have spent this ridiculous sum?
Does this explain it?
Well, no effort was made to understand it, because sometimes contrived candidacies are plainly about appreciation of a certain director. Having made Florida Project, Baker holds the benefit of the doubt. I’m sorry to make another political analogy, but Baker feels like Bernie Sanders here. The ostensibly revolutionary character whose eventual fame essentially forced him to put way too much water in his wine, virtually selling out. Baker made a film the casual apolitique liberal critic will like. There’s just a much more profound, mutinous movie hidden behind Anora, one which renowned commentators would admittedly find less amusing.
Should you still watch it?:
In all honesty, and considering Baker has made significantly superior films, I can’t really say your career as a moviewatcher will plummet if you give this one a pass. Mikey Madison might end up being one of the great actresses of her generation, so in the spirit of continuation…quizas…maybe?