Earlier this month, Sean Baker鈥檚 dominated the , taking home five trophies, including the coveted Best Picture claim. After hours of hearing esteemed actors and presenters , I knew I had to see it for myself. So, the very next night, I rented 鈥淎nora.鈥�
At its core, the film is a simple subversion of the tired 鈥淐inderella Story.鈥� Ani, a sex worker in New York City, marries a Russian oligarch and is lured by the promise of a lavish life. What follows is a tale of heartbreak, betrayal and Ani鈥檚 struggle to confront her position in a world that constantly tries to define her.听
Generally speaking, I鈥檇 recommend against approaching a film with the expectation of it being Best Picture. High expectations tend to set you up for disappointment, and, suffice to say, 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� let me down a little. Of its six nominations, 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� won five, three of which I would have chosen for a different film.
The film鈥檚 first win was for Baker鈥檚 Best Original Screenplay. I find this shocking, especially in retrospect when watching the film. The dialogue in 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� is a mostly chaotic blur of characters shouting over one another. While not necessarily a weakness, if we鈥檙e talking about award-worthy screenwriting, I鈥檓 inclined to tighter, more deliberate dialogue. 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� certainly had its standout writing moments, and Baker does demonstrate some impressive attention to detail, but ultimately, it pales little in comparison to my pick, which would have been Jesse Eisenberg for 听
Next, Baker and 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� took home the Oscar for Best Film Editing. While I鈥檓 not incredibly informed on what exactly qualifies a film for this accolade, I was in the camp that D谩vid Jancs贸 would win for Turning a nearly four-hour period drama into a gripping, dynamic experience is the kind of editing that, in my opinion, truly deserves the award.听
Baker took the stage shortly after to accept his Oscar for Best Directing. I don鈥檛 have any major issue with this win 鈥� he may not have been my first pick, but Baker showcased an undeniable knack for momentum in 鈥淎nora,鈥� especially in the film鈥檚 first act.听
Mikey Madison then claimed the Best Actress award. While I expected Demi Moore to take it for 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� undoubtedly hinged on Madison鈥檚 performance. After all, she is Anora. With a , Madison immersed herself in the life and experience of Ani, noticeably present in her mindful portrayal of a sex worker. solidifies her victory for me. This was well-earned.听
The film鈥檚 Best Picture win is where I really diverge from the Academy鈥檚 consensus. 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� was quite good, but in the end, it didn鈥檛 offer much new.听
To this note, argues that much of the acclaim for 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� rests heavily on Madison鈥檚 performance. When discussing the film鈥檚 class commentary, he notes, 鈥淭he film鈥檚 theme of class disparity is handled decently, though it鈥檚 nothing new. We鈥檝e seen this done with more depth in [other] films,鈥� before listing other notable class-conscious films, like 听
I find myself largely agreeing with Kelaru. Inherent in the 鈥淐inderella Story鈥� format is classism, and Baker gave us Vanya 鈥� a 21-year-old heir of millions who is little more than a spoiled mama鈥檚 boy, devoid of any ambition to work an honest living 鈥� and Ani 鈥� a young woman desperate to escape her lower-class roots only to be mistreated and dehumanized by the wealthy. It is perfectly fine, but nothing so groundbreaking that it deserves the abundance of acclaim it鈥檚 received.听
While class consciousness plays a role in 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� and certainly ties to the film鈥檚 exploration of sex work, I鈥檓 willing to admit that the true heart of the story lies less in critiquing the wealthy and more in the personal experiences of women who make a living as sex workers.听
However, I find Sean Baker鈥檚 commentary on sex work entirely unremarkable.
If Baker expects praise for making a film that portrays sex workers as human beings with real identities, highlighting the societal disdain for strippers and showing that this is wrong, then fine, that鈥檚 certainly a positive message. Of course, there鈥檚 value in pushing back against harmful stereotypes and shedding light on the struggles of marginalized groups. However, the basic message that men should give more compassion to women who work in strip clubs does not impress me one bit. This is a baseline expectation, not an artistic revelation.听
The issue here isn鈥檛 with Baker鈥檚 theme 鈥� I agree that the societal view of sex workers should be more compassionate. The problem is that such basic humanity needs to be explicitly articulated on the screen, and for some reason, this is being treated as award worthy. In my view, Baker has created a well-done movie. But it is not transformative, and you don鈥檛 get a prize for recognizing basic human empathy.
That being said, in lieu of over-criticizing a film that is ultimately quite good, I鈥檇 like to point out the qualities of 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� I most enjoyed.听
Across the board, the acting was superb. While Mikey Madison received her flowers on Oscar night, Yura Borisov was the standout for me. Although he may have left the ceremony empty handed without the statue, Borisov鈥檚 performance in 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� was my favorite part. He doesn鈥檛 speak much throughout the two-hour film, yet his presence is extremely charming and grounded. In some of the film鈥檚 silliest moments, Borisov manages to elevate the absurdity while keeping it all convincing with the simplest, unspoken reactions. I found the quiet shot of him flipping a baseball bat in his hand strangely touching, even though it goes entirely unnoticed by the other characters. Borisov wields a subtle power in his presence, and as Robert Downey Jr. aptly said on Oscar night, 听
Finally, what is maybe the best thing about the 鈥淎苍辞谤补鈥� Oscar sweep is that it is an entirely independently made film. The success of the film should speak to studios, producers and filmmakers across the genre that the world is ready for stories beyond CGI-heavy remakes. I鈥檒l end this piece the same way Sean Baker ended his Best Picture speech 鈥�