I hadn’t gone to the cinema for a while, I can’t even remember exactly the last time. So I was thrilled when a couple of friends invited me last week to watch this movie: Anora.
I had seen the trailer before and somehow it attracted my attention, maybe it was the lights, maybe the colors. Then, one of my students recommended it to me and that same day I read the plot on the cinema’s website. It was depicted as some sort of new version of Pretty Woman. And that was exactly what I was expecting when the lights went off and the movie started.
I was actually kind of feeling like a rom-com- it was Christmas time, after all.
Well, I have to say, that is not what I got. I was definitely surprised. In a positive way.
The movie starts by introducing Anora and her job as a sex worker in a nightclub. From the first second, I was able to tell that Mikey Madison was the real protagonist of this movie. She’s undoubtedly remarkable. The film has a fast-paced rhythm and we’re catapulted into Anora’s life since the first second. The editor definitely did a good job, although sometimes I had the impression it was too hectic.
After a little introduction, Anora meets Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch, and the two start seeing each other frequently. Here’s where I thought I was about to see a Cinderella/Pretty Woman story, but as the movie was progressing, I kept asking myself: “Where’s the romance here?”. I thought they were supposed to fall in love, and I knew this movie had won some prizes, but I didn’t see any love here. Their relationship and lifestyle looked so shallow and sleazy that I couldn’t see when the Pretty-Woman story would start.
So, when Anora and Ivan get married in Las Vegas and his guardian under the pressure of his parents, decides to take action, I finally understood, that there was no romance to expect at all. The director had different plans.
Here came the best part of the movie: a funny, hectic, and a little whimsical manhunt in a nocturnal New York City. It even reminded me a bit of Pulp Fiction-though not quite as good.
I won’t say too much about what happens, because part of the reason why I liked Anora was its surprise effect. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, because even if I really enjoyed watching it, it didn’t particularly stick in my mind in the following few days. I’ve noticed a few times that some films don’t amaze me that much while watching them- they might even bore me a bit- but eventually, they stay, they leave a trace. On the other hand, some are really enjoyable while watching them, but are pretty easily forgotten only after a couple of days.
I don’t have any serious criticism of Anora, I genuinely liked it actually. I simply didn’t feel the spark, although I really appreciated the moment of human connection at the end.
My rating: 7/10
