‘Anora’ Explores Class and Survival, But Cinematic Choices Hold It Back
By Corbin Johnson
On our fourth Oscars watch, we have Anora, directed by Sean Baker and starring Mikey Madison, known for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream, alongside Mark Eydelshteyn, who has appeared in Monastery, The Land of Sasha, and Guest from the Future.
After watching it, I found myself questioning whether the film truly deserves all the hype, as some aspects don’t entirely make sense. While I think it’s better than Substance, I’m not sure this is a film I would immediately point to and say, “Yes, this should win Best Picture at the Oscars.”
To summarize, Anora is a modern Cinderella tale centered on a young woman named Anora, who goes by Ani. She works as a stripper and earns a decent living, providing companionship to clients she meets at the club. Anora then meets Ivan, a wealthy man from an elite family who takes an interest in her. As their relationship develops, the film explores different sides of Anora, highlighting her growing awareness of her reality as a working-class woman struggling to survive.
Madison’s performance is a standout, as she perfectly captures the harsh realities of life as a stripper. At the beginning of the film, we see her in a playful, carefree light, but as the story progresses, a more serious, vulnerable side emerges as challenges threaten her relationship with Ivan. The chemistry between the two leads is solid, but at times, the romantic sequences feel more like something from a 2010s music video rather than a classic love story like West Side Story, Titanic(yes, even with that ending), or Casablanca.
While the actors do a great job with the material they’re given, the way certain scenes are filmed makes some moments unintentionally comical. Ideally, a film leaves you in awe of its cinematography, making you wonder how particular shots were crafted. However, in Anora, the framing of some scenes feels almost ridiculous.
The film does a decent job of tackling its central theme—class disparity—by contrasting Anora and Ivan’s vastly different lifestyles and showing how these differences impact their relationship. However, other films have explored this topic far more effectively, such as Parasite, Cinderella, and Pretty Woman. Those films seamlessly balanced comedic and serious moments while staying true to their themes.
Overall, Anora is a decent film with strong acting and well-designed costumes. However, its writing, cinematography, and editing weaken the overall impact. That said, Madison is my pick for Best Actress—she has come a long way in the industry and consistently steals the scene whenever she’s on screen. While Anora is unlikely to win Best Picture, hopefully, the Academy recognizes Madison’s undeniable talent. I’d recommend watching Anora—if you can overlook the elements that bring it down. (And if that proves too difficult, I completely understand.)
