Anora (2024)
Being a Palme d’Or winner and the director of The Florida Project I had high expectations for this. It is by most accounts a great film, but can’t help but feel a bit disappointed that it didn’t quite lived up to the hype.
What shines through is Sean Bakers compassion for his characters and how he seeks authenticity. We see people on the fringe of normal society, but he doesn’t pass judgement and he doesn’t try to add forced sympathy. I love that neutral depiction, which I also find in Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank for example.
And it is not just for Anora this applies. The rich Russian kid may have the stereotypical super-rich carefree attitude, but it is also pretty clear that he is just a young inexperienced man desperately trying to form some sort of human emotional connection amidst all his superficial wealth. In addition, the three goons that are trying to settle this whole mess are far from the typical thugs working for a rich guy. They don’t really want to be tough, they don’t seem particular proud of what they have to, but as Anora - they are also just trying to improve their situation by being in good standing with people with immense wealth.
I liked how the movie starts and ends with a drama, with a huge chunk in the middle being mostly comedic. The contrast makes especially the ending work so much better. It ends on a much different note that really elevated the whole film for me, because I was slightly irritated while watching it. It is longer than it needs to, as seeing rich people go crazy gets tedious very quickly and the long chasing after Ivan scene at night had one or two pitstops that felt unnecessary. And as funny as it was, I think it ruined some of that authenticity that I liked so much in The Florida Project. It became a bit of a caricature in parts. The small arc for Igor and his great dynamic with Anora mostly makes up for it though.
Rating: 4