best movie of the year?

[@paigev8913]

I saw Ani’s attitude towards Igor (insulting him, being cold) as her not knowing how to accept a man liking her in a way that was non transactional. When he gives her the ring at the end, it’s very telling that she insults his car almost immediately after, then tries to have sex with him. Her insulting him was her fighting against him liking her - it feels too vulnerable for her, and it’s not something she has experienced before. She then went back to the only thing she knew how to do, by making his favour for her into a transaction.

[@salempistorius7395]

This comment changed how I thought about the movie and helped me appreciate it more. Thanks!

[@ATownLikeMusic]

I think the film was trying to show that Igor and Anora are ultimately the same. Anora gives lap dances to men because that's her job and she needs to get paid to live, and Igor gets called in to restrain her because that's his job and he needs to get paid to live. Ultimately, they're both only valued by this above them for their bodies, Anora's for it's sexuality, and Igor's for it's strength. But really they are both deep and sensitive people, just low on the economic ladder. Further underlining their similarity is their connection through their grandmothers, which is where Anora's Russian comes from, and Igor lives with and regularly mentions his.

[@sawspearenjoyer]

sean baker and the main cast (not the guy who played Igor) were at a q&a i went to for the film and karren karagulian (he plays toros the goon leader) explained that in armenian culture baptisms are a huuuuge deal and him having to leave was a really bad and deeply insulting to the family thing for him to do. both times i watched the movie here in la, i couldn’t tell if it got the biggest reaction simply because its the funniest part or that people in the crowd understood that that baptisms were that big in armenian culture. loved the movie a lot!!

[@space_1073]

This is the third time I’ve watched one of these reviews, gotten to the spoiler section, paused, watched the movie, and then come back to finish the video. Yall motivate me to see movies more than anything else 😂

[@EarthEagleGT]

the ending of this film has stuck with me for weeks. Makes me feel like the whole movie is about this character learning a harsh lesson

[@MegInWhispers]

I really admire and appreciate the fact that you guys discuss your reviews together. I LOVE watching films with my husband, but I find it difficult to fully articulate my perspectives on them strictly on my own, in a written review or recording an audio review for my channel. But when I talk about each film with my husband, the process of discussion makes me feel so heard and free to talk about all the different facets I loved or disliked about each experience. I can't articulate my thoughts by myself as well, but when verbally processing it together, we bounce around from topic to topic and it blends into these amazing, insightful talks where we learn more about each other, ourselves, and societal perspectives. I hope we have many years ahead of us to grow with each other and enjoy our mutual film appreciation. 🥰❤ This is what I see with you both. It's so special and I hope you cherish it! 😊🙌

[@twentywordsorlessYT]

I noticed that the tinsel in Anora's hair reflected (pun not intended) her situation. At the beginning of the film, it catches the light a lot; she's met Vanya, she's happy. As the film goes on, the tinsel becomes less obvious; it's practically nonexistent when shit hits the fan. At the end, it comes back, but it's not as obvious as it was at the beginning. Just an observation of mine, though. (Also I'm _shocked_ that Mikey Madison didn't blow her vocal cords in the home invasion scene. My throat felt sore just watching it, holy shit.)

[@soundslikeknee]

I hope toros is on a beach somewhere with cigar and drink . With a big sign of relief

[@whatwhatwfeenfeen]

he probably has to deal w the fallout of leaving the baptism now lol

[@ChuckDarwin1909]

The trailer for this played in front of every single movie I've seen at my local theater this year - and I'd kind of say the trailer lays out a little too much. Still, pretty fun overall. I was too stupid to know what to make of that final shot, but I definitely get it now from your discussion and the comments here. Always a treat to walk out of the theater and see y'all's notification for a review of the movie I just saw!

[@thehousecat93]

What do you mean the trailer lays out too much? Pretty much all of the footage of the trailer is in, like, the first 30 minutes. Igor’s not in it, it makes the husband look like a main character. It shows almost none of the main conflict (the husband running away, being a shithead momma’s boy). The trailer is intentionally misleading.

[@ChuckDarwin1909]

@thehousecat93 I would say it was more like the first hour, I even happened to checked my watch the moment it felt like we were finally getting somewhere new - maybe it's just that I saw the trailer so many times, that the first hour felt overly familiar. I'd say it's a good movie to go in totally cold

[@that1guy375]

The film is very Nights of Cabiria, the endings are somewhat similar, but they leave you with noticeably different emotions lol. I really loved the film, my thoughts definitely echo some of yours. What I love about Baker's films, is that he takes these flawed characters on the periphery of society, and has the audience experience their world. This film is glossier than his previous work, but I feel it resonates just the same.

[@fieuline2536]

Nadia has been having some GREAT takes in these recent reviews

[@tobikronntal5138]

Your review is finally here. For me, Anora is definitely one of my favourite films of the year.

[@EthanButler]

I imagine Anora had dreams when she was a young girl about falling in love and having a picture perfect romance but as she grew older, became more jaded. Empowered and confident, sure - but jaded. When Ivan comes into her life, she feels that those dreams she once had were possible and that romantic love was real. What makes this so sad is that throughout the movie, we see her slowly come to the realization that her dreams aren't going to happen. She's back to being jaded again, more than she was before. It's heartbreaking.

[@percivalyracanth1528]

I wouldn't say she's "empowered" nor truly "confident", she's actually almost wholly bereft of power throughout the film to change much of anything, and any sense of power she may have had before was an illusion whose illusiveness is slowly catching up to her or crumbling beneath her.

[@thebigshep]

I know a lot of people who loved this compared it to the Sadfie brothers movies, but the naturalistic dialogue reminded a lot of Victoria (2015), which is an amazing German movie that was shot in one take, would highly recommend for anyone that hasn't seen it

[@thebigshep]

Just lost my precious like from the channel bc I'm dumb and said it was 2018 instead of 2015

[@womancarryingman]

You got it back 🙃

[@TheMikenanners]

I think Sean Baker’s one of the best alive and this might be my favourite American film of the decade so far. I highly recommend his last four movies and have also had a similar initial feeling of ‘this isn’t really a flaw because it makes the movie work’ with all of them, and they become more rewarding to reflect on over time. Would especially would love to hear your take to Red Rocket.

[@blaarfengaar]

I really liked it too, it kinda reminded me of Good Time or Uncut Gems by the Safdie Brothers but more comedic and less stressful

[@ballin470]

I really loved how the film's identity really effectively mirrored Ani. Like her, it's chaotic, it's brash, it's raunchy, but like you said it's clear that there's an underlying painful reality that's breadcrumbed to us in between stretches of fever-dream-like fervor. Anora hints at her family's dynamic in one scene with Ivan and there's a moment of interaction between her and Igor in the diner that showcases her defense mechanisms. The film seems so intentionally hesitant to be vulnerable and show us what these characters actually are as humans. It isn't until the final scene where Ani herself finally breaks down where the film itself is finally pointing to everything that came before and says "Look. This is what this is about. Underneath all the sex, drugs, partying, and chaos, there is human being." I also totally loved the use of music during the honeymoon phase of Ani and Ivan's relationship. It's frankly beautiful, happy, and heartwarming and I was bobbing my head and smiling in the theater. Then contrasting that with the distinct lack of any soundtrack in the final scene. Those damn windshield wipers are gunna stick with me for a long time. 10/10 for me! Would definitely recommend Red Rocket too! Similar energy with a protagonist who's actually a bad person :)

[@EthanButler]

That's a profound observation. Couldn't have put it better myself

[@beckybyt]

Love the movie! Also I really think you should go back and watch The Florida Project. Equally beautiful and devastating and I think you'd get a lot out of it if you enjoyed Anora :)

[@cinemasprite]

Yes yess please do a watch of his last two Florida Project and Red Rocket!! reviews for them too would be amazing

[@clairemitch4301]

So ready to watch this after listening to you

[@ConnerNielsen6]

I loved this movie! Sean Baker is like a 21st century, indie scene Frank Capra. The guy just gets people, and the struggles of the lower class

[@looney1023]

Sean Baker is absolutely one of the best. Red Rocket, I think, is his best work, but Anora is easily the most entertaining.

[@deandrake2723]

Spot on. Great commentary and review of Anora. A rebreather from all the toxic and confusion film twitter has for the movie.

[@ZachBobBob]

Great movie. The ending made my friend cry

[@redgenerall28]

The whole movie is a journey from "oh, she's gonna take advantage of him" to "oh, it's the other way around" Honestly, I just glad they didn't go super dark with it cause I thought Ani wasn't gonna make it

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

I thought this movie was really great, lots of audience excitement throughout in a way i havent seen in a long while, but i do think its a bit ridiculous that some reviewers talk about the first half being this perfect cinderella love story that is just suddenly upended in the second half, i think the entire movie makes it pretty clear that Vanya was a moronic spoilt manchild from the very beginning who never meant anything sincere. Thats the point, that it would’ve never worked and Anora had to learn that

[@Segkee]

Love the review. And I objectively love the movie. But let me challenge all of our love for the flick by positing: is this incel propaganda? The film literally puts Igor in focus (shifting the focus from Ani). Igor is the Incel with the heart of gold. He's a missionary toward normative love. It's like Sean Baker was consulting Jordon Peterson and he gave us a guy who makes his bed in the morning vs. the video game rich addict loser. I still loved it, but something felt... manipulative.

[@cardboard2night]

What the hell are you talking about?

[@KenTWOu]

Hell no, Igor is just a normal Russian dude, the movie is shifting focus from Ivan to Igor, but not from Ani.

[@rohith2582]

If Sean Baker wanted Igor to be the typical 'hero' of the story as you claim him to be, he wouldn't have made Igor be the one who physically assaults and restrains Ani. There's some nuance to the role Igor represents in the movie and it is meant be as such to allow for more interpretations of the ending. Because if he was a picture perfect guy, then the ending has no choice but to be perceived as an optimistic happy one; happy as in emotional catharsis.

[@jurgengatica2824]

I just watched the filn, an what do you both mean it was a comedy?

[@guilhermeacrisiofreire2642]

Bom trabalho

[@QuynhAn689]

Very overrated!!, all this hype are really just from Sean Baker's previous work, this is by far the weakest.