Anora

The reason people seem to hate this film is exactly what makes it outstanding. Anora is a brutal piece of class commentary, contrasting two completely different lifestyles while examining what happens when ordinary people collide with extreme wealth. The first act is fun, chaotic and incredibly easy to watch. The acts that follow are deliberately long, uncomfortable and painful, essentially forcing us to clean up the mess created by that carefree opening. Yet even within all of that, the film finds humour and humanity in Igor, and the search that follows ultimately becomes the best part of the entire film. It’s remarkable how compelling it becomes simply by following these characters around as they desperately try to find someone. At its core, this is a story about ordinary people interacting with the ultra-rich, and the enormous gap between their worlds. I also understand why some people take issue with the explicit sex scenes, but given what the film is trying to say, their presence feels completely necessary rather than gratuitous. Talking about the ending, so spoilers in this paragraph. Then comes that final scene, which brings all of the film’s pent-up emotion crashing together. Anora believes the only way she can repay Igor’s kindness is through sex because that is what she knows and, more importantly, what she believes is all she has to offer. Igor tries to show her genuine care and affection, but she becomes angry because she has never experienced — or perhaps never learned how to understand — someone genuinely caring about her without wanting something in return. The film does an incredible job portraying a woman who has been stripped of her sense of self-worth. A funny, chaotic and deeply painful film that becomes more affecting the longer you sit with it.