MovieChat Forums > Anora (2024) Discussion > I completely don't understand the high r...

I completely don't understand the high ratings for this film

posted 11 days ago by Mono (9)
16 replies | jump to latest

A film about a prostitute who decided to marry a rich shithead whose only thing on his mind was playing video games and partying. All signs in heaven and earth indicated that nothing good could come out of this, but the prostitute still seems outraged and surprised that the shithead doesn't give a flying fuck about her.
These are “heroes” who are simply impossible to like and root for.
The only character you can reasonably like is Igor but not really because he turns out to be a typical beta male with no survival instinct who has a crush on the titular prostitute.

Ok, I get it, it's Sean Baker, he's made some good movies but let's face it - Anora is not one of them.

[–] DavidM (908) 11 days ago

A good movie isn't just about liking the protagonists.

[–] Mono (9) 11 days ago

I forgot to add that the story was cliche and the “problems” of the main characters were trivial. Attempts at comedy missed. The pace of the narrative chaotic. Dialogue improvisations by actors clearly noticeable and therefore inept.

[–] DavidM (908) 11 days ago

Not at all. It's incredible difficult to do what this movie does, shot with so many actors on location mixing two languages. It's a very good movie.

[–] Mono (9) 11 days ago

I accept your opinion but, forgive me, I do not share it.

I have a very low threshold of tolerance for stupidity and if a serious film offers me characters who are stupid it will be very difficult for me to like such a film.

[–] 000 (474) 10 days ago

good acting
just not the sort of people we aspire to be

like florida project

[–] Mono (9) 10 days ago

Here I have to admit a point, the acting was quite decent.

But still, I have to have some chemistry with the characters, I don't have to aspire to be like them but they have to have some values, some magnetism. Even the anti-heroes must have at least some residual charisma.

The character played by Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project was very likable.

[–] letess (1810) 8 days ago

Yes, Anora is one of them. His best. I actually think this movie is going to get best picture. Like it did in Cannes. DGA. Critics’ Choice. I think it will win over The Brutalist.

I think you missed all of the movie’s glories. I don’t even know where to begin. One thing is you can root for all the characters. If rooting is even necessary. The last scene was particularly poignant.

[–] Mono (9) 6 days ago

I'm not sure how one can root for people whose misfortunes are caused by their own stupidity. To pity them - yes. But to root for? I know I can't.

[–] letess (1810) 6 days ago

Many peoples’ misfortunes are their own undoing. Not always. But this movie, you can empathize and root for each and every character. There’s not one I wouldn’t root for or empathize with. I don’t think I go to see a film and say, who can I root for in this. This film was so beautifully scripted and well-acted. And there’s a lot of comedy. It’s just such a really unique movie. Kind of a perfect movie on all levels.

BTW “the prostitute” you mention - it’s her story - still a little girl who is waiting for her prince to come along. The honeymoon she wanted was to be in Disneyland as Cinderella. Why or how she got to this point, we can only assume that some bad things happened to her when growing up. And young Ivan is also a kid with access to a lot of money while the parents are away and he’s in the US. It’s a great comedy and it’s heartfelt - especially with Igor, who is in most ways the perfect prince.

[–] Mono (9) 4 days ago

I'm sorry, I can't sympathize or cheer for a woman whose only motivation is a luxurious life. I just can't.
And comparing her to Cinderella I find, forgive me, to be bordering on insulting.

It would be an interesting and praiseworthy exercise if the director decided to make a film about such a caricature of Cinderella, her reflection in a distorted mirror. Unfortunately, this was clearly not his intention.

[–] letess (1810) 4 days ago

I never compared her to Cinderella. I said she wanted a honeymoon at Disneyland. Cinderella was Pretty Woman. And look at the difference between the two. One is in a dreamland that is kind insulting because a lot of young girls went down that path thinking they were going to meet Gere. And in reality, in the original, she was dumped out of a car on the side the road.

I am sure most people aim to live a lifestyle that is luxurious or better than the one they have. So, you can’t condemn her. She actually thought she mattered to someone important - not in her world, and then realized he didn’t care about her at all and he was underage. And you don’t know what happened to her early in her life where she felt these choices were the best ones. Plus, all the people at her club are like a family in their own way. Maybe this family was better than the one she had.

It wouldn’t hurt for you to see it again - as the second time for me - I was laughing louder than I did the first time and so was the audience. It is without a doubt one of the best comedies. Plus, then you see where she said she wanted to go to Disneyland and what she said after that because I think you missed it.

[–] LieutenantKeitel (3) 5 days ago

I disliked the film as well but I don't agree with your take, I don't think she ever thought he's going to care about her or anything in a romantic way but she saw him as an easy money, easy access to have a comfortable and more stable life. It's not a love story. I didn't think she was much surprised when she found out that the marriage is not going to survive, hence you can see she wasn't shocked when she found out that he was hanging out with other women in the end. She's not Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" but a much more cold, and self-centered person. Hence, that's also why I didn't like the film much. She didn't have to be "likeable" or even good but her being the way she is makes it hard for me to be moved by the ending. I think the film was just generally confused, it didn't want to be sex-negative film that looks down on sex workers but the ending bit feels like it.

The mid-act "comedy" sequences were especially annoying. I found the henchmen characters almost caricaturish and badly acted, save for Igor, the only saving grace of the film. If the entire film was about their relationship, maybe it'd work better.

Sean Baker is a good, humanist filmmaker. I expected better from him.

[–] Mono (9) 4 days ago

It may seem that we have different takes but after reading your post it seems to me that they are very much aligned.

Basically, I was mainly referring to the main character, who is very materialistic, superficial, selfish and that's why I can't root for her. All the rest of the ensemble was often exaggerated, like a cartoon, I fully agree. The film can't decide what it wants to be. It is all over the place.

The end of the film, which tries to evoke some warm feelings in the viewer towards her and expose her human side, looks like trolling.

[–] LieutenantKeitel (3) 4 days ago

Indeed, yeah and we didn't get much of an idea why Anora so badly wants to escape her life. Sure, her profession has its obvious bad sides but we didn't get to see anything too toxic or dangerous from her work environment or we don't see if her work causes her to get stigmatised. She didn't seem unhappy in her life and she also had a decent house to live. Then suddenly that ending happens and what I'm supposed to take it from that? Should I feel sorry for her?

Almost baffling to me that it's the favorite to win all these Oscars. Can't get "groundbreaking!!" comments as well. At the end of the day, the film didn't show me anything I didn't or wouldn't know about Brighton Beach Russian community or the sex workers in general. The materialistic, ice-cold female character is not necessarily something new in the films? Or those over-the-top henchmen? That oligarch parent couple that felt like straight out of soap operas? Truly strange.

[–] Mono (9) 4 days ago

I fully agree with you.

And, to be honest, if I had watched the film without knowing or hearing anything about it, I would have rated it rather positively. There's no need to lie to ourselves - it's a piece of rather good cinema. But in the face of this ultra-enthusiastic praise, putting this film on a pedestal and calling it a masterpiece? It's VERY rare that I don't understand critics as much as I do in this case.

[–] ElSofoqueReturns (774) 4 days ago

Mikey Madison's performance is what elevates it.