Anora

So I sat down in the theater, legs kicked backed without any idea what this movie Anora was about. I didn’t even watch the trailer, I knew nothing other than the fact that it won FIVE Oscars. Wow, I thought it must be a deep, thought-provoking and inspiring movie.

I will never forget this moment. First scene, right in front of my eyes, elegantly introduced a big bare ass in a black thong. Then a set of naked tits. And so and so forth until we passed at least six gals grinding on thirsty men at a strip club.

Mhm.

I thought to myself, oh boy, this is going to be amaz- ...no I mean, interesting.

Seriously though, I applaud this movie and Mikey Madison for being so bold. In most of our minds, we know how sex goes. We imagine it. The deeds happen behind closed doors. But there is certainly a shock factor to presenting these private activities directly to our faces in a public theatre. The first half of the movie essentially flushes us with unbridled sex (in the exact fashion as how you imagine it), lap dances, and youthful fantasies of outlandish Vegas parties and even marriage.

The second half of the movie gets more wholesome. No more sex. No more lap dances. But it maintains the fun through humorous and silly interactions between the characters as they search New York City for their spoiled son of a Russian oligarch. The story started to make sense and moved forward in a funny and engaging way. Simultaneously, this is when things got real, in the sense of showing what Anora has to go through as a sex worker.

The sex industry is unforgiving. One may say that Anora knowingly, with her autonomy intact, accepted to be Vanya’s escort for the money and even knew the whole marriage idea was ridiculous. So was the emotional rollercoaster of trying to defend her marriage and get back with Vanya all self-inflicted? It’s complicated, which I think is what the movie is trying to convey. Anora is depicted to be a headstrong, confident woman who is in the sex industry as a means to an end. Sex work is just work, to earn money like any other jobs. But it is a vulnerable profession that has subhuman projections across society. But we don’t know Anora’s upbringing or background. Without psychoanalyzing or patronizingly sympathizing the character, I would imagine a vulnerable environment leads to vulnerable paths, perhaps like sex work. Be that as it may, the fact is that she is still a person who is trying to survive like any of us. Why should she be judged harshly by society? Why should she be barred from a genuine loving relationship? I thought these vulnerable, transactional, and unspoken traumatic experiences all came to light at the end, when Anora broke down in tears because she was finally treated like a human being by a considerate person.

This impartial lens towards sex work is important to have in my line of work, where people from all walks of life (at times with vulnerable and/or stigmatized past) seek help, and it is my job to provide the necessary support regardless of their background.

There is a lot more analysis to be done that ultimately makes this an excellent movie experience. Depending on how you watch this, it is definitely worthy of five Oscars. Who knew sex can become so philosophical…

Verdict: Must-Watch 9

Release Date: 18 October 2024

Box Office: $59.7 million

Rewatchable: Yes, I watched it twice