40/17
I just saw one of the best films of the year
Story
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets the son of an oligarch and marries him on the spur of the moment. When the news reaches Russia, their fairytale is in jeopardy when his parents head to New York to have the marriage annulled. IMDb editor Arno Kazarian gives a sneak peek at 12 films he has screened at the 2024 New York Film Festival, including “Anora” and the dangerous, strangely erotic film “Misericordia”. At the Cannes Film Festival press conference, Mikey Madison said that director Sean Baker would go through various sex positions with his wife, producer Samantha Quan, to show the actors what he wanted from them.
And I can tell you, this film is absolutely amazing
The festival nights in Athens have begun, and at the opening ceremony we were lucky enough to see “Anora”. From the first scene, you are captivated by the screen, and that feeling just doesn’t let up. As the film went on, I kept thinking, “Come on, it’s got to slow down at some point, right? Give us a breather.” No, no breaks, no dips, not even a hint of slowing down.
Lead actress Mikey Madison, who plays Anora, is an absolute revelation
Anora has some of the best pacing I’ve ever seen in a film. Anora, a sex worker and tough girl from Brooklyn, meets and marries the son of a Russian oligarch in a whirlwind of madness. But her fairytale quickly turns into a nightmare when news reaches Russia and his parents do everything they can to annul their marriage. She effortlessly combines sexiness, femininity, childlike innocence and toughness in a way that leaves you speechless.
It’s the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in a long time
She’s going to go very, very far, and don’t be surprised if she gets nominated for an Oscar. Personally, I’d also nominate Mark Eidelshtein, who plays the Russian son, for Best Supporting Actor. Fantastic. Anora is a slap in the face of the traditional fairy tale concept.
It’s a realistic, brutal, raw, funny and ultimately sweet modern Cinderella story
Only in the real world, no prince is going to come and save you – you have to pick up the pieces and lift your head up yourself. Check out our list of exciting new films from this year’s film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, the New York Film Festival and more.