Anora

The first 40 minutes can be quite misleading, likely catching viewers off guard if they enter with the expectation of a romantic narrative.

Once the first act concludes and the second act kicks in, there's a striking shift in both tone and style that I honestly did not see coming.

The comedy is genuinely entertaining, with moments that will have you laughing out loud. Despite serious circumstances, the absurdity of the situations elicits laughter and chuckles.

They have certainly nailed the dark comedy sides of the story.

However, I found the dramatic elements to be less impactful than I had anticipated, leaving me puzzled by the overwhelmingly positive feedback it has garnered from all around.

While Mikey Madison delivered an impressive performance, and fully deserves every praise coming along her way, her character needed more depth to properly flourish. It feels as if the writing intentionally held back on details, leaving the job of contemplation solely to the audience.

I wish that weren't the case.

The movie is truly an enticing advertisement for why all girls should stop studying and work a stripper/escort. Acting is mediocre at best and the story is well .... for the lack of a better word mind-numbing as it reflects the super consumption fueled glam lifestyle every fashion magazine and Kardashian reality shows attempt to sell. How is this borderline pornographic crap-fest for 14 to 18 year old audiences was deemed worthy of an Oscar was beyond comprehension. I do have to admit the staging, scenery and costumes were quite suitable to tell the story but the dialogues (straight out of high school locker room was cringeworthy. Please help me comprehend how low the Oscar bar has been dropped in recent years or who the Russian mob paid off to make sure this mediocre flick received such high praise.

Overrated and boring. Gratuitous nudity and sex scenes with a ton of fluff and fill dialogue. I'm not exactly sure what people were seeing when they gave it a great review, but there was only one solid takeaway from this movie, and that is that Mikey Madison can act. Caveat to that opinion is that specifics of her character can become quite annoying. You'll have to see it to understand exactly what I'm saying without giving any spoilers away. The movie starts out strong and sets itself up pretty well, only to come crashing down not even half way through. If you're not that curious of a movie buff, then you definitely won't regret passing on this one.

Anora was extremely disappointing, with a third-class and cheap feel throughout. It lacked quality in every aspect, making it a complete waste of time!

Watching Anora was an incredibly disappointing experience. The entire production felt cheap and lacked any sense of quality or effort. From start to finish, it seemed like the creators were more focused on cutting corners than delivering something meaningful or engaging. The storyline was predictable and uninspired, failing to hold my attention or evoke any emotional response. The characters lacked depth, making it impossible to connect with them or care about their journey. To make matters worse, the visuals and overall aesthetic felt outdated and amateurish, adding to the sense of a third-rate production. It's clear that very little thought went into creating a cohesive or impactful experience for the audience. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone-it's truly a waste of time and energy. If you're looking for something entertaining or thought-provoking, this is definitely not it!

Mediocre. As simple as that. How can a movie, not necessarily stylized, but constraint by budgetary issues, full of clichés and lacking in originality both in the screenplay storyline and its characters, with average acting by all cast, become such an industry darling? There's no redeeming qualities that would lead ANORA to get such high scores by both moviegoers and, especially, critics.

The main character's journey brings her and us back to where the story began. She learns nothing and we are left wondering what could make it a special show. It is not by any standards, except for the current need to reward what is not considered mainstream.