I Watched Oscar Winner Anora and Felt Like I Saw a Different Movie Than Everyone Else

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ATTENTION: The information below reveals crucial aspects of the storyline for the recently crowned Best Picture Oscar film, Anora. If you haven’t watched it yet and wish to avoid spoilers, consider reading further at your own risk.

It seems I overlooked the signs suggesting that Anora would sweep the 2025 Academy Awards, as I would have received a significantly better score on my Oscar ballot if I had listened. Frankly, I didn’t anticipate the movie – with its darker spin on the beloved romantic comedy, Pretty Woman – to take home Best Picture (alongside Original Screenplay, Editing, and Director for Sean Baker). However, once it did win, I realized I should give the film a chance and watched it the night after.

frankly speaking, if I were an Academy member, I wouldn’t have picked “Anora” as the top film of 2024. Don’t misunderstand me; the story of a young sex worker, portrayed brilliantly by Mikey Madison, and her tumultuous marriage to a Russian oligarch’s son (Mark Eydelshteyn) was captivating. However, there were certain aspects that prevented me from fully appreciating it and feeling as enthusiastic about its Best Picture victory as others appear to be. Let me elaborate on my reasons…

I Loved The First Half, But The Second Half Left Me Lukewarm

Initially, I’d like to highlight that the lead character in “Anora” (whom we know as “Ani”), played brilliantly by Madison, is one of my favorite film characters in recent memory. Her performance earned a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination. The captivating storyline follows Ani’s transformation from a feisty Brooklyn resident, who finds love with Ivan and leaves behind her sex work, making it incredibly endearing to watch.

Initially, Ivan leaving Ani after his work associates forced him to annul their marriage was quite intriguing. However, the extended search for this character felt, if I may be candid, rather confusing and disjointed to me. I don’t mean this in a catastrophic sense, but more along the lines of being slightly anticlimactic. Despite some humorous scenes and a poignantly sad ending, the second act seemed to lack the necessary energy that would have kept me fully engaged as I had anticipated.

Also, I Had Issues With Anora’s Dialogue

Respectfully speaking, I share Sean Baker’s sentiments about not voting for Anora as the Best Original Screenplay winner. The primary reason being, the dialogue felt somewhat monotonous to me, especially in the latter part of the script. It lacked the freshness and creativity that I was hoping for.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I must admit that I admire Baker’s ambition for authenticity and to underscore the tense nature of the scenario by having characters interrupt each other frequently, reminiscent of the masterful A24 production, “Uncut Gems” from 2019. However, I found certain lines repetitive to a point of annoyance, seemingly without a clear purpose. For example, hearing Yura Borisov’s character, Igor, being subjected to the same homophobic slur multiple times, by the fourth or fifth instance, left me quite frustrated.

Overall, I Have Had Far More Powerful Cinematic Experiences In 2024

In other words, I thought my response to Anora might have been influenced by the excitement following the Oscars and perhaps I would have felt differently if I had seen it before its Best Picture win. However, despite this, I believe I would have made the same voting decision.

So far, I haven’t managed to catch all the 2025 Best Picture Oscar nominations, but the ones I’ve seen – like the gripping epic The Brutalist, the mind-blowing sci-fi masterpiece Dune: Part Two, the tense political thriller Conclave, and my favorite film of the year, a truly terrifying horror movie named The Substance – have given me some of the most captivating and unforgettable cinema experiences in recent times. Frankly, I find it hard to understand why the Academy has picked Anora as their top choice for last year’s best film when compared to its competition.

Although I had some doubts about Anora, the movie left me yearning to explore more of Sean Baker’s work, such as The Florida Project or Red Rocket. His directing style was nothing short of remarkable (though my expectations were high for Coralie Fargeat to win Best Director in The Substance). Additionally, although I had hoped Demi Moore would win Best Actress, I am thrilled about Mikey Madison’s future prospects in the industry following her victory. Her performances in films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and 2022’s Scream have left me captivated, so I eagerly anticipate where her career will lead. Although I’m not ready to rewatch this film just yet (it might be available on Hulu with a subscription from March 17, according to Deadline), the 2025 Oscars still feel like a bittersweet event in my eyes.

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2025-03-07 04:11