Jake’s review published on Letterboxd:
My first Sean Baker movie and I loved it. Gotta be honest though, didnt see what the hype was about for the first half hour. While it was very technically impressive, it just didnt strike me as very original, rich guy whisks poor girl away (in this case a sex worker) is something weve seen before. However, the movie really picked up after that and became its own, to the point my opinion completely shifted and i thought it was amazing.
The movie is super well written with an extremely sharp script. Told a great story that is almost an adventure for the characters involved. It handles chaotic scenes and lots of characters talking over eachother masterfully. Some insane lighting and camera work throughout, loved how colorful the movie was. The comparisons to Scorsese gangster movies are well founded in that it presents a normally taboo profession as glamorous and fun and then breaks down that facade as the film goes on. Mikey Madison gives an incredible breakout performance, she’s maybe the best actress of the year along with Demi Moore in the Substance. Shes plays a character who tragically defines herself by her profession and how other people view and treat sex workers, and its sad to see how other characters dismiss her. I do think the movie could have done more to build up her desires and personality, which is probably why the first half hour didnt hook me as much. Great cast and acting throughout, there were no weak links in the movie. It was surprisingly hilarious, with a couple great comedic relief characters. I really appreciated how tactfully the movie handled portraying strippers and sex workers, and didnt demean them for their careers even if the characters did.
In conclusion, while there are movies this year i like more due to my own personal tastes (Dune, the Substance, the Wild Robot etc), Anora is objectively one of the best films of the year and definitely worth a watch. 10/10
Edit: Turns out the wider release is November 8th so we just saw it early by accident. Hell yeah
