Anora (2024) Dir: Sean Baker
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I have been excited and determined to watch this romantic comedy drama, which was written, directed, and edited by Sean Baker, since I heard it was coming out. It sounded like it could be a special film, and when it won the Palme d'Or, my anticipation only increased. I was fortunate enough to see it at my local independent cinema, which was an added bonus.
The film was made on a relatively small budget of $6 million, but it was all well spent, in my mind. This was most evident in the extravagant sets, which were dressed exquisitely, used delicious colours, and were complimented perfectly by some very pretty cinematography. The lighting, the framing, even the focus - it was all exceptional to observe.
The dialogue was another real strength; it really was exquisite. The characters all felt natural and believable, especially the film's protagonist. I enjoyed the seemless flow between English, Russian, and Armenian throughout the film - it only added to the realism of the characters. I think the comedy was tremendously written too - everything felt so off-the-cuff and true-to-life.
The narrative subverted expectations time and time again, without ever losing depth of meaning or cohesion of story. It went from fairytale romance, to comedy of errors, to heartfelt drama, all with a double injection of sincerity and poignancy that was masterfully written. I was so taken by the story - I expected one thing, but was given something arguably even more impactful and memorable.
Mikey Madison gave the performance of the year, as far as I'm concerned. She blew me away with every aspect of her performance. Be it the soft romance, the silly comedy, the explosive reactions, or the crushing emotions - she nailed it all and then some. I cannot sing the praises of her performance enough.
Mark Eydelshteyn didn't appear as much as I expected him too, but he was very entertaining for the time that he was on-screen. His physical comedy was his greatest strength, with his mannerisms providing a lot of the film's humour. I also thought Eydelshteyn did a good job of appearing immature when he needed to be.
Of the supporting cast, who were all genuinely very enjoyable and very entertaining, I thought that Karren Karagulian had the best individual moments, although, I will confess, I felt that Vache Tovmasyan was truly a hilarious presence in the film.
Yura Borisov really grew throughout the film, and managed to show a lot of emotion through minimal dialogue and acting. I also want to give a very quick mention to Lindsey Norrington who was so good at her small but important role that it was almost scary.
Overall, I think this may just be the film of the year. It's beautiful, it's funny, it's heartwarming, and it's tragic. The energy of Anora is so wonderfully infectious - her emotions permeate the screen quite beautifully. Rarely have I been so taken with a film - it really is quite special, and absolutely one to add to my physical media collection as soon as I can.
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