“Anora” was the biggest surprise of the year. Everything about the film works and even days after watching it, I could not stop thinking about it.
Mikey Madison gives the performance of the year playing the character of Anora or as she is referred to in the film, Ani.
The acting on display in general is top notch with Yuriy Borisov also giving one of the best performances in the film as the quiet Igor. That character is a Russian henchman who is seen as misunderstood, somewhat caring in spite of his job. While he does not have nearly as many lines as some of the other characters, his body language and lack of words really help to sell this character and make him by far one of the most interesting characters we see.
The film mainly focuses on the character of Ani and her relationship with Ivan who she meets and grows a strong connection with over the course of the film. Her job working at a nightclub is where she comes to meet him and the film makes you ask if their relationship is real or transactional while still making you really invested in them.
There is a bit of a shift in the second half of the film where it becomes a lot more comedic. The shift in tone doesn’t feel super jarring either and pretty much all of the comedy worked for me. Some of the absurd situations the characters have to deal with are hilarious and how they are dealt with makes things even funnier.
Even with all the moments of levity, the film really knocks home the emotional moments, which Mikey Madison is really able to sell. Various scenes in the film feel super chaotic, but they are all handled in a way that makes it easy to follow despite all the characters talking over each other.
The film was gorgeously shot and it does a great job with presenting scale such as the size of a boardwalk or a mansion. It is also able to make the chaos seen on screen feel a lot more palatable. Sean Baker, the director, really made this film feel like his own and it really felt like it was a film with fresh new ideas that amazed me.
I strongly recommend this film and it is by far one of the best films of 2024. Everything really worked for me and the acting from everyone was some of the best I’ve seen all year. This film is getting significant Oscar buzz, and after seeing it, I completely see why. If you have the chance to see it, go!