I know all of the Oscar predictions have been floating about for weeks. And I know I'm supposed to be rooting for Demi Moore (and her unforgettable performance in The Substance) and I'm supposed to be rooting for The Brutalist (the epic Adrian Brody film featuring an intermission). But am I the only one who can't get Anora and its fabulous star, Mikey Madison, out of my brain?
Here, my honest review of this year's gem of an underdog, Anora.
Anora is a fabulous dramedy that's been earning positive acclaim ever since it hit theaters back in October. Madison portrays a young sex worker named Ani, whose life is turned upside-down when she meets a Russian oligarch named Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn).
Their whirlwind romance results in the duo eloping in Vegas, but this news doesn’t sit well with Ivan’s family. It doesn’t take long for his parents to announce they're coming to America to get the marriage annulled.
The premise may sound simple but man is it good. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Anora has a whopping 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Madison delivers a stunning, layered performance as the lead, a complicated young woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind or to put herself first. It comes as no surprise that she's been nominated at every major awards show this year.
Madison, though a fresh face, has been around for a hot minute. She's made appearances in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and 2022's Scream. But it was her breakout role as Max in FX’s Better Things that really put her on the map. And most recently, she played Judith in Lady in the Lake.
At times laugh out loud funny, the film pits Madison's foul-mouthed protagonist against a number of oligarchs and obstacles. But she knows how to hold her own throughout. Yet, as I said earlier, the film is a dramedy, delivering just as many heartbreaking (and heart-wrenching) moments. The movie is fast-paced, fun and (frankly) phenomenal. And it's definitely worth the watch (and might just snag an Oscar).
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