Film Review: “Anora” – A Faulty Fairy Tale
By Alida Pantone
⭐⭐⭐
Sean Baker’s latest film, “Anora”, takes us into the bustling nightlife of New York, presenting a fairy tale that goes wrong. Despite Mikey Madison’s strong performance, the film doesn’t quite hit the mark.
This film tries to mix romance and tough reality, but its predictable plot weakens its emotional effect.
Anora, played with depth by Madison, is a Brooklyn stripper who lives her life pragmatically. She becomes unexpectedly involved with Ivan, a wealthy young man played by Mark Eydelshteyn, leading to a series of challenging events.
Their relationship, which initially promises escape and enchantment, soon exposes the contrasts between their worlds. While the narrative aims to showcase Anora’s internal and external struggles, it does so with little novelty, retreading familiar ground without adding new insights.
I feel “Anora” would have been better as a shorter film. As a full-length movie, it feels too long and filled with unnecessary parts that don’t help the story or the characters.
I was surprised to see “Anora” receiving several nominations and awards, given my own viewing experience. This has left me questioning whether I missed some deeper elements on my first watch, but honestly, I don’t feel compelled to sit through it again to find out.