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.
i disagree about the ending as a transaction. quite the opposite actually, which is why ani cries when she climaxes and pulls away from igor's attempt at kissing her. she finally has this moment of genuine human connection that ISN'T a transaction and it's a shock to her system how she got vulnerable to this man (or any man for that matter) given the circumstances of her failed transactional marriage and her work as a dancer/seggs worker. this time, she's just in the confines of this humble working class car with this humble working class guy that never objectified her. think of the ring scenes. vanya totally "buys" her into marrying him, with the illusion of a cinderella ending for her while igor literally steals back her ring to return it to her without any expectation from her other than to ask her if she likes him (do you like this car?). ani doesn't quite know how to handle a straightforward kindness but clearly wanted to explore this nebulous new bond with this guy who is actually a normal non-manipulative human, so that's why she resorted to the only thing in her defense mechanism, which is to try and take control of the situation and be the one to initiate seggs, during which, she finally accepts that the illusion was always an illusion and she was sad that the "real prince charming" isn't a prince at all but this humble non-gopnick who drives his grandma's old car. like, if she could snap her fingers she would totally have igor and ivan switch economic status, but no, she's seeing now that her realistic prospects are more likely within the confines of this car that she doesn't like even if deep down she likes igor as a person.
@maggyfrog this is totally unrelated but can I ask why you choose to censor the word sex? I see content creators do it and I assume it's due to a superstitious fear of their videos being tanked by the algorithm, but as a commenter that logic doesn't track since you have nothing to lose and it's not like your comment would affect the video, so I'm curious as to what your reasoning is.
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 those 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.
Gross interpretation in desperate need of intersectionality. They may be economically equal but Ani has been terrorised, assaulted, kidnapped, restrained and made to feel crazy by Igor for the whole film. She is distinctly disempowered by her gender and sexual status. I’m not buying the romance between them. They are not the same. Ani gets paid to give pleasure to men - Igor gets paid to abuse her. You cannot equate these. They are not just proletarian equals experiencing solidarity here.
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 😂
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! 😊🙌
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!!
When the other guy mentions that he even had to leave the baptism for this, and Toros reacts in that way, it made it seem like it really was a big deal. So the movie covered their bases there 😋
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.)
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!
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.
@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
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.
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
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.
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.
@@percivalyracanth1528yeah you sound smart I guess but she’s definitely a confident character. She has layers of course, her first scene besides her stripping is her getting rejected by a customer and her reaction is interesting. Gleams a bit of light into her insecurities but she certainly feels empowered through her dancing because it’s the only form of validation she really knew/valued up to that point until vanya and igor changed that for her.
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 :)
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.
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 :)
I Think It Could Also Be Argued That Anora Perhaps Unconsciously Wanted To Feel Close To Igor aand That's The Only Way She Knew How She'd Jist Experienced Something So Intense And Traumatized That She Definitely Needed Some Support
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
I was not ready for how funny the second act of this movie is. I'm glad i watched it at home since i literally couldn't stop laughing and would have probably ruined other people experiences at the teather.
Yeah, people laughing in the theatre when Ani was being terrorised, restrained, assaulted and gagged certainly ruined my experience. I think you’re a creep if you laughed at those scenes.
@@entertain7us148 sure i'm a creep because i laugh at a comedy in scenes the director intended to be funny i understand that it's a mixture of tension and comedy since at first you don't know what the goons are capable of, but it becomes clear pretty quick they're not gangsters but just dofuses ultimately it's a crazy scene a lot of people might react to differently and i'm happy i've experienced it in an intimate environment
Nice review, really like it when i just saw it, but somehow the impression faded abit. Wonder what you guys would think of Red Rocket by the same director.
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
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.
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.
Maybe because Russian is my native language but Ivan was unlikable from the start. He speaks to everyone like he talks to customer service. Not exactly impolite, just his tone is brass and dismissive all the time. You know instantly what he’s like. If he’s not talking like that he’s talking like a teenager, like the actor watched VladA4 religiously to be like that.
Maybe that was intentional - he's a rich kid, he's going to look down on almost everyone he meets as they're not as wealthy as him/his family. If it wasn't intentional it still fits well with the film considering how Vanya ultimately sees Ani.
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.
This comment changed how I thought about the movie and helped me appreciate it more. Thanks!
i disagree about the ending as a transaction. quite the opposite actually, which is why ani cries when she climaxes and pulls away from igor's attempt at kissing her. she finally has this moment of genuine human connection that ISN'T a transaction and it's a shock to her system how she got vulnerable to this man (or any man for that matter) given the circumstances of her failed transactional marriage and her work as a dancer/seggs worker. this time, she's just in the confines of this humble working class car with this humble working class guy that never objectified her.
think of the ring scenes. vanya totally "buys" her into marrying him, with the illusion of a cinderella ending for her while igor literally steals back her ring to return it to her without any expectation from her other than to ask her if she likes him (do you like this car?). ani doesn't quite know how to handle a straightforward kindness but clearly wanted to explore this nebulous new bond with this guy who is actually a normal non-manipulative human, so that's why she resorted to the only thing in her defense mechanism, which is to try and take control of the situation and be the one to initiate seggs, during which, she finally accepts that the illusion was always an illusion and she was sad that the "real prince charming" isn't a prince at all but this humble non-gopnick who drives his grandma's old car. like, if she could snap her fingers she would totally have igor and ivan switch economic status, but no, she's seeing now that her realistic prospects are more likely within the confines of this car that she doesn't like even if deep down she likes igor as a person.
@maggyfrog this is totally unrelated but can I ask why you choose to censor the word sex? I see content creators do it and I assume it's due to a superstitious fear of their videos being tanked by the algorithm, but as a commenter that logic doesn't track since you have nothing to lose and it's not like your comment would affect the video, so I'm curious as to what your reasoning is.
@@creamtangerine85
you don't know that youtube also censors comments?
@@maggyfrogDamn, I like your theory the most so far. It feels more real than the "transaction" comments I've been reading.
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 those 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.
Gross interpretation in desperate need of intersectionality. They may be economically equal but Ani has been terrorised, assaulted, kidnapped, restrained and made to feel crazy by Igor for the whole film. She is distinctly disempowered by her gender and sexual status. I’m not buying the romance between them. They are not the same. Ani gets paid to give pleasure to men - Igor gets paid to abuse her. You cannot equate these. They are not just proletarian equals experiencing solidarity here.
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
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 😂
I hope toros is on a beach somewhere with cigar and drink . With a big sign of relief
he probably has to deal w the fallout of leaving the baptism now lol
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! 😊🙌
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!!
When the other guy mentions that he even had to leave the baptism for this, and Toros reacts in that way, it made it seem like it really was a big deal. So the movie covered their bases there 😋
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.)
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!
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.
@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
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.
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
Just lost my precious like from the channel bc I'm dumb and said it was 2018 instead of 2015
You got it back 🙃
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.
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.
@@percivalyracanth1528yeah you sound smart I guess but she’s definitely a confident character. She has layers of course, her first scene besides her stripping is her getting rejected by a customer and her reaction is interesting. Gleams a bit of light into her insecurities but she certainly feels empowered through her dancing because it’s the only form of validation she really knew/valued up to that point until vanya and igor changed that for her.
Your review is finally here. For me, Anora is definitely one of my favourite films of the year.
Nadia has been having some GREAT takes in these recent reviews
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 :)
That's a profound observation. Couldn't have put it better myself
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.
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
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
So ready to watch this after listening to you
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 :)
Yes yess please do a watch of his last two Florida Project and Red Rocket!! reviews for them too would be amazing
I Think It Could Also Be Argued That Anora Perhaps Unconsciously Wanted To Feel Close To Igor aand That's The Only Way She Knew How She'd Jist Experienced Something So Intense And Traumatized That She Definitely Needed Some Support
Sean Baker is absolutely one of the best. Red Rocket, I think, is his best work, but Anora is easily the most entertaining.
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
I was not ready for how funny the second act of this movie is. I'm glad i watched it at home since i literally couldn't stop laughing and would have probably ruined other people experiences at the teather.
Yeah, people laughing in the theatre when Ani was being terrorised, restrained, assaulted and gagged certainly ruined my experience. I think you’re a creep if you laughed at those scenes.
@@entertain7us148 sure i'm a creep because i laugh at a comedy in scenes the director intended to be funny
i understand that it's a mixture of tension and comedy since at first you don't know what the goons are capable of, but it becomes clear pretty quick they're not gangsters but just dofuses
ultimately it's a crazy scene a lot of people might react to differently and i'm happy i've experienced it in an intimate environment
@@entertain7us148 imagine laughing when dark humor is being shown in a comedic scene
Great movie. The ending made my friend cry
Spot on. Great commentary and review of Anora. A rebreather from all the toxic and confusion film twitter has for the movie.
Nice review, really like it when i just saw it, but somehow the impression faded abit. Wonder what you guys would think of Red Rocket by the same director.
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
I just watched the filn, an what do you both mean it was a comedy?
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.
What the hell are you talking about?
Hell no, Igor is just a normal Russian dude, the movie is shifting focus from Ivan to Igor, but not from Ani.
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.
It's a best movie only for 306s
It’s alright, not nearly the best for me.
Bom trabalho
Maybe because Russian is my native language but Ivan was unlikable from the start.
He speaks to everyone like he talks to customer service. Not exactly impolite, just his tone is brass and dismissive all the time. You know instantly what he’s like.
If he’s not talking like that he’s talking like a teenager, like the actor watched VladA4 religiously to be like that.
Maybe that was intentional - he's a rich kid, he's going to look down on almost everyone he meets as they're not as wealthy as him/his family. If it wasn't intentional it still fits well with the film considering how Vanya ultimately sees Ani.
Very overrated!!, all this hype are really just from Sean Baker's previous work, this is by far the weakest.